A Dreary Heart
by Technically Its Canon
Summary: (AU:A Dreary Heart) Just another day in the Fairy Tail guild, the sun is shining and the fists are flying. Everything seems just how it should be until an old photograph sparks the interest of one Laxus Dreyar. Lucy has to face her irrational fear of the brooding slayer if she ever wants to get any answers out of him. (Strong Language)
1. Smiling Faces

**Yeah, I don't own Fairy Tail. We good?**

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All was normal in the majestic building near the southern coast of Magnolia. The sun rained down on the white stone walls as wind whipped up the proud orange flag, ruffling the fairy insignia on the front. It was a peaceful sight, the mighty building watching over the town, promising to protect it against any and all challengers. That peace was completely shattered by the livid yelling that burst through the windows and doors.

The guild was doing what it did best, namely beating each other to a bloody pulp. It had started with Natsu yelling, somehow a fist had been thrown either by or at him, and now everyone was worked up.

Lucy jumped out of the way as Elfman hurdled into the table she had been sitting at, his massive body breaking right through the surface. She let out a heavy, annoyed breath,quickly turning to skipping through the chaos as carefully as she could. It would be easy to say she hated days like this, all the pointless fighting and yelling. Easy, but also a lie. Fairy Tail was her family, and there was no other guild like them. Rowdy and rough, ready to show off their magical abilities at the drop of a hat.

She made sure to watch her feet, moving just fast enough to dodge flying fists, and avoid the magic circles springing up everywhere. She wanted to put as much distance between her and the fighting as possible.

She did not, however, have enough time to react properly when Gajeel fell right under her step. She had a rapid thought of what would happen to her if her foot met his face, seeing herself thrown into the battle by the angry iron dragon slayer who would _not_ show her mercy.

In a snap decision she threw her foot further, making herself stumble in her next step. Her body swayed, making her do a funny little dance across the room to try and catch herself. It did little to help. She lost her footing, balancing on the side of her foot. Rushing to correct herself she stumbled backwards, making her wobble and fall backwards. She braced herself for the long fall and hard smack of the stone floor, but instead felt herself hit something much softer, standing upright.. She gripped whatever it was with all of her might, realizing it couldn't be a wall or furniture by the way it gave a little at her quick movements.

"Sorry!" She yelled almost instantly, realizing it must be a person. She scrambled to her feet frantically, pulling what felt like clothes as she tried to steady herself.

Once confident in her footing she turned around to apologize properly but her voice got caught in her throat, only a surprised squeak escaping.

" _LAXUS!"_ The thought was a yell trapped inside of her head.

He was glaring down at her like she had just lost her mind, a deep frown carved into his face.

"I-I-I'm really sor-"

"Why don't you watch where the hell you are going?" He barked instantly, not having time for her, or for what he saw as pathetic apologies.

He stomped off, up the stairs, no doubt headed for the regular table everyone recognized as, essentially, his property.

She watched him leave, an angry scowl aimed at his back. His dismissive and rude attitude made her want to follow him and give him a piece of her mind. She had tried to be nice, and it's not like she hurt him. HE WAS LIKE A MOUNTAIN! You can't hurt a mountain!

Maybe she would have called after him and told him off, if it was not for her annoying and deep rooted fear of the lightning mage. She had tried to push it out of her mind, and after he had come home she had done well to see him as just another guild member, but after the Grand Magic Games it all came back. Laxus was powerful to the point of being down right terrifying. All of his friends were.

No one else seemed to share this problem, leaving Lucy to suffer alone. She had once asked Levy for help, wondering if it was just her who saw them differently. Of course Levy was one of the most understanding women of their time. She had explained that she was once intimidated by Laxus but not nearly to Lucy's extent, and had gotten over it once she became closer to Freed. She tried to explain that they were just like any other member of the guild.

Lucy found that hard to believe. She had little context of them, and most of it came from their attack on the guild. After confessing to Levy she had decided it was best to keep her fear to herself, finding it embarrassing to tell even one person.

She sat down at the bar, far enough away from the brawl (for now). Mira noticed her and gave her one of her cheery smiles.

"Don't take it to personally. He's like that with everyone." She soothed in her singsong voice.

"Hua? Really." Lucy asked flatly. "Then I'm surprised he's got any friends at all."

Mira laughed a little and nodded understandingly.

"He's really not that bad. Under all of it, he's just a big teddy bear."

Lucy got the image of a very angry and fluffy yellow bear raining down lightning onto all of Magnolia.

"Sorry if I can't really believe that." She rejected quickly.

Again Mira laughed.

"Maybe this will change your mind." She reached behind the counter and dug out an old photo album. She flipped through the pages, scanning each one quickly before landing on one she liked. She turned the book around and pointed to a square snap shot in the lower right corner.

It was a picture of a blond boy with wide eyes, accented by prominent eyelashes, and a wider smile. He was next to a slightly younger looking Makarov.

"Is...that Laxus?" She laughed. "I can't imagine him being that small." She pulled the book closer, getting a better look.

After getting her fill of the picture she flipped the page, seeing another of him as a teenager, though this one was less shocking. She had seen something like it before. With it was a picture of Mira in her younger years.

"Does this have everyone in the guild?" She asked, looking at the next page seeing separate pictures of Natsu, Grey and Erza.

Mira nodded. "All of their younger pictures. We started collecting them a few months ago. We thought it would be a nice way to remember everyone as the years go by." She sounded quite proud.

Lucy nodded. "This is awesome! It's hard to imagine them being so young." She gushed as she kept flipping.

Mira allowed her to keep the book as she went back to tending the counter.

"You know, we are missing a certain celestial mage's baby pictures." Mira hummed.

"Me? But...I didn't grow up here at the guild." She reminded, the slightest hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Yes, but I'm sure everyone would want to see what a little baby Lucy would look like."

Lucy blushed, thinking no one would be that interested in her.

"I don't know...maybe." She mumbled, her attention falling back on the pages of the album.

"If you change your mind then come tell me. I will be happy to add your pictures to the book as well." Mira assured, gliding off to take care of some customers at the end of the bar.

Lucy flipped though, pausing on a picture of Natsu, his large teeth visible through his goofy grin. Happy was resting on his head, his wings so tiny at his age. It made her heart warm to see them like that. They were so important to her. It was nice to see them so innocent was sweet.

She was about to turn the page when her eyes caught a bit of green.

There was a picture of Bickslow, Evergreen, Freed, and Laxus. Evergreen had on some silly costume wings, Bickslow had shaggy blue and black hair all falling in his face. Freed had large blue, hope-filled eyes, his hair hardly long enough to reach his shoulders. The picture made her laugh; happy, grinning faces all piled around Laxus, who looked to be ignoring the camera as hard as he possibly could. She turned to up at the balcony that was the second floor.

She saw Laxus, sitting with his group. They were all talking calmly and looked much more dignified. It was hard to imagine them as these same silly kids. It was hard to forget how hard her friends had to fight each other if they had any chance of returning things to normal. It was hard to forget all they had done.

She continued onto the next page, shaking the thought of the Thunder Legion, skimming through the happy faces of her younger guild friends. When she finished she closed it softly and left it on the counter, unsure of where to put it and knowing Mira would not mind her leaving it there.

She carefully slipped through the ongoing battle, making her way to the library. Once inside she barricaded the door behind her. She intended to wait the rest of this brawl out in peace.

She sighed happily, only hearing the muffled yells, taunts and barks, all of it sounding so far away through the heavy door behind her. Her eyes ran over the spines of the books, looking or something to catch her eye. She eased forward, as she searched.

"Lucy?" The voice made her nearly jump out of her skin, her hands shooting to her keys quickly, as she whirled around to identify the call.

She was met with a smiling Levy, who was snuggled up in a fluffy arm chair, a stack of books around her.

Lucy relaxed instantly, letting out a breath of air.

"It's just you." She eased.

Levy nodded, with an amused laugh.

"Who were you expecting?" She asked, nodding to an empty chair not far from her.

Lucy moved forward to take it.

"No one. That's the point." She admitted flatly.

"It sounds pretty wild out there, as always." Levy looked down at the book in her hands, going back to her story.

"Don't ask me whats got them worked up today. I didn't stick around to ask." Lucy picked up a book from one of Levi's stacks, and started to read with her.

The two enjoyed their stories even after the uproar outside ended. It wasn't until dinner time Lucy stretched and marked her place in her book and dared to go find something to eat.

Other than the loud proclamations coming from Natsu (naturally aimed at Gray) the guild was calm, only quiet conversations being passed around the tables. Lucy went over to the bar to order something to eat, silently making a game plan for calming her pink haired friend down. She considered sitting somewhere else to avoid any conflict.

Instead she sat at her team's table carefully, trying not to disturb anything. Maybe if she kept her head down she could stay out of things completely? He would yell until he was out of breath and then sit down once he was exhausted.

She focused on eating, blocking out the yells of the two polar opposites locked in their screaming match of 'I'm better than you's.

"How can you say that flame brain? You couldn't take me down even if my hands were tied behind my back!" Gray barked, standing up so quickly his chair was shoved back.

"What are you talking about? It would be easy!" Natsu laughed, looking confident and unwavering, leaning closer to the ice wizard with a cocky smirk. "Wanna put your ice where your mouth is and fight me?"

Their yells were loud, but nothing compared to the ear splitting crack and thundering voice.

"Will you two shut up?!" Laxus ordered, scowling down at them, his arms crossed over his chest. "I know it's hard for you idiots to process ANYTHING in those shriveled brains of yours, but look around. Everyone is trying to have a nice night. Most of them have been working all day, unlike you slackers. So why don't you shut your fucking mouths, and stop repeating the same conversation you have, every damn day?"

His voice boomed, and Lucy doubted it was even raised. It made her sit still in her chair, hold her breath, eyes locked on her plate. She didn't know how Grey and Natsu could muster up the courage to talk back to him, but they did, almost at once. The regular 'mind your own business!' and 'come make me then!'s that anyone would receive at correcting these two right now would get.

Natsu bumped into Lucy as he was grabbed up by the scarf, lifted to be nearly nose to nose with the faux dragon slayer.

"Listen here kid." The blond spat. "You are going to shut the hell up, and it's going to start now, otherwise I will break your teeth."

Natsu opened his mouth to respond but was silenced quickly, blocky abstract letters covering his mouth, only mumbles slipping through.

"Set him down Laxus. He won't bother you any longer." Freed stepped up to be by his side.

Lucy looked up, much more at ease now that he was here. He didn't have 'control' over Laxus, but he had a way of calming him down no one else could even attempt.

Laxus growled and his eyes flashed to Freed before he tossed Natsu onto the ground, not making any attempt to be gentle.

Natsu pulled and scratched at the script covering his mouth, only becoming frustrated. He looked up at Freed with sharp eyes. His next series of frantic mumbling was undoubtedly him commanding the greenette to remove the spell and what would happen if he didn't right that minute.

Freed did not seem to bothered by it, and only raised an eyebrow at the mage on the ground.

"Once you calm down the script will remove itself. Not a moment before." he explained in his precise voice before looking up to Laxus. "You really should just call me for little things like this. They aren't worth your time."

He only earned a grunt in response. Freed's attention switched to Lucy, who gulped when those ice blue eyes hit her.

"I'm sorry for the commotion." His smooth calm voice and polite words caught her off guard. "His bark is really worse than his bite."His eyes flicked back to Laxus.

"Fuck you." The blond snapped back, a ripple of lightning through the tuft of his coat. The green haired man simply smiled.

"Most of the time anyway." he added with an amused chuckle.

"N-no problem." Lucy swallowed thickly, trying to appear less rigid and uncomfortable.

She let out a breath when they turned to leave together, heading for the staircase. She didn't take her eyes off of them, wondering if she would ever be at ease around them. It took a few deep breaths to get her heart rate back down, and did nothing for the jitters. Natsu picked himself off the ground still trying to talk the barrier off of his face. Grey seemed pretty pleased while watching him struggle.

"Someone needs to knock him down a peg." he hung his arm over the back of the chair, as he took a drink from his stein.

"Who? Laxus?" Lucy asked, furrowing her brow at him.

"Yeah. He need's to stop going around and bullying everyone." Grey nodded.

Lucy frowned, feeling conflicted with his statement.

"Yeah...I guess." She nodded, dropping the subject.

She went back to eating. Grey eventually wandered off to find someone else to talk to. Natsu's anger eventually sizzled down and the purple letters vanished. Lucy wished it had taken his newly formed grumpy attitude with it.

"Those jerks. I'll have to get 'em back for that." he sounded excited, as he always did when it came to starting fights.

Lucy stayed quiet, but felt the urge to implore him not to. Freed was a tactical fighter, and could easily outsmart Natsu. And Laxus was _freaking_ Laxus. Natsu was strong, and an amazing force, but the facts were facts. They had both been fighting longer and arguably harder, both honing their skills to near perfection.

She stayed quiet, knowing he wouldn't listen. It was not worth her breath to try and talk him out of this. It would be easier to doctor his wounds later.

The sun had been gone a while when Lucy decided to start her walk home. She took her normal path, along the low wall on the edge of the river. She felt exhausted and was unsure why. Today left her pining for a hot shower and her warm bed.

Once inside she collapsed on her bed. Hitting the pillows she rejected the thought of a shower, not even bothering to change clothes. She only shimmying out of her skirt, tucking herself under the covers. With one last glimpse around her room, her eyes fell on a tucked away photo album.

"I can look through them tomorrow." She yawned to herself, rolling over.

It didn't take her long to drift off to sleep, not knowing what the next day would bring.

* * *

 **Alrighty. I went back and forth about posting this, because I'm not sure if it's ready. I have a lot of hope for this story and I have been working on it for a few months.**

 **In short it is the first multi-chapter story that I am really serious about on this account.**

 **(Yeah, 'Loving Lightning' is really just for shits-and-giggles)**

 **Review if ya like, and feel free to be blatantly honest. I love feedback.**


	2. The Photograph

She woke up the next morning hoping to feel refreshed and ready to take on the day but instead felt heavy. She groaned, knowing she had already slept in, and rolled over in her bed. She could see the daylight streaming through her curtains, encouraging her to get up. It made her whined to herself and throw an arm over her eyes.

"Five more minutes." She thought to herself. "You'll just say that again in five minutes."

With that she made herself sit up, ignoring how her body protested. She could have sworn someone enchanted her body to her bed, making it almost painful to separate the two. Her legs fell over the edge touching the cold floor. Her toes curled as she stretched some of the sleepy away.

"Come on. Get up." She encouraged herself, her voice flat and tired.

It took some time but she eventually made her way to the bathroom and got a shower. After getting dressed she made a cup of tea and sat down with her picture book.

As she scanned through the pages it dawned on her that she didn't have the sense of nostalgia that she had expected. It was almost as if this book belonged to someone else entirely. Her life had changed so much that the chandeliers and fancy dresses seemed more like a foggy dream than the rejected reality of her past.

She sipped her tea, taking photos out of the book when they caught her eye. The album wasn't very thick and and it didn't take long to sift through all of the photographs. Once she had scanned through the book she collected the pile of photos that she deemed interesting enough to share. She would let her friends have the final say on which pictures made it into the guilds album.

It didn't take long for a crowd to grow around her once they learned she had pictures of her as a child. As soon as Natsu saw how cute she was when she was young, the entire guild might as well have known. He loudly announced how everyone simply had to see it.

It brightened her mood to see him so excited, dragging people over to look, not considering if they wanted to or not. To her surprise everyone seemed interested and hung over her shoulders to see the pictures. They passed around their praises saying they couldn't believe that little girl became their Lucy, commenting on how cute she was, and how pretty. She could feel her cheeks glowing as they asked about her childhood. Her slow morning was starting to pick up.

As everyone muttered and laughed, pointing at this picture and that, she froze. She hadn't originally noticed Laxus join the group of onlookers. He was farther off and only glancing over in slight interest. She shook it off, thinking even he was not immune to the curiosity a crowd brought.

She focused herself on spreading out the last of her pictures, earning a few louder laughs and hiking up the conversations again. However, none of it mattered. She was numb to it the second she saw Laxus scowl. Her smile vanished and she felt could only see him from the corner of her eye, but the awful look he gave was clear. He immediately marched over, leaving a confused Freed stuck in the middle of whatever he had been saying.

He all but shoved people over making his way to the table. Lucy couldn't move despite her mind screaming for her to run.

"Where did you get this picture?" He demanded, picking up one of her oldest photographs.

In the picture her mother was holding her hand. Lucy was only three.

The crowd went silent quickly, trying to understand what was happening.

"Ah...I took it with my mother in my hometown." She shrugged, feeling small.

She thought about leaving, but even if she could have made herself move, she wouldn't be able to make a quick escape due to the crowd around.

"Your mother?" He repeated firmly, his eyes catching hers.

She nodded reluctantly.

"This is your mother?" he flipped the picture around holding it up to her face.

"Y-es." She answered, inspecting the image for anything she may have missed.

"What's the deal Laxus?" Natsu snapped.

He stood up, squaring up to Laxus. His fists were balled up ready to attack. Laxus didn't give the pinkette any attention. He inspected the picture closer.

Freed placed his hand on the larger man's back.

"Laxus?" he spoke carefully.

He turned quickly, catching Freed off guard, nearly knocking him over. He didn't say anything as he stormed off, bright flashes of lightning licking at his arms, hair and over his shoulders.

Natsu growled and shouted after him, scolding him for being rude and demanding he come back. Freed looked as confused by his behaviour as everyone else, and looked down to see the source of his sudden outburst, finding the picture had been slipped back onto the table carelessly. As he inspected the image, Lucy saw his understanding face switch to confusion, then realization, and lastly worry. His head snapped up to the path Laxus had taken and he bolted off after him.

Lucy felt her stomach twist with the knowledge that what had happened could not bode well for her. She looked back at the picture as everyone else started to talk about how strange that was, which evolved into light hearted jokes about Laxus always being grumpy.

"Um...you guys pick out your favorites...I'm going to...see if he's okay." She stood up, worming her way from the group.

"Ah let it be Lucy, Laxus is always an asshole. He's not worth the worry." Gray called after her.

She didn't take time to give him a response before starting for the stairs. Her mind was racing along with her heart, but her curiosity was stronger than her aversion to Laxus. She marched over to the Thunder Legions table, but her step faltered and slowed when she saw each member looking sick with worry. Only Laxus was immune from the depressing cloud that hung over them. Freed was saying something but it was to quiet to hear, and abruptly ended when he saw her approaching.

No one made an attempt to address her. Bickslow, who was usually quick to make a crack at her, was quiet and ignored her.

She cleared her throat and stood up straight, wanting to feel more impressive.

"I think I deserve some answers." She stated boldly.

When she saw Laxus' ocean blue eyes snapped up to her, she wished she had chosen another way to word it. Nothing but malice and disgust swam in his stormy orbs.

He was quiet at first, studying her. She could see the gears turning in his head.

"Entitled bitch. You don't deserve anything. You don't deserve to lick the dirt off my boots." He shot back in a growl.

Freed's eyes widened.

"Laxus!" He scolded.

"Shut up." his voice was a quick, loud crack.

Freed closed his mouth but gave a warning glare that Laxus seemed to heed, if only for a second.

Lucy could feel her will and bravery wavering. She tried to ignore how hard those words stung her.

"You can't just make a scene like that and-"

"Shut the hell up! Just shut up. You aren't going to tell me what I can and can't do! You aren't going to say shit to me at all. You are going to turn your rich bitch ass around and then you're going to do your best duck your head when I walk by."

She felt her legs shaking.

"I just wanted to know why you-" her voice was trembling.

"I don't care." Laxus crossed his arms over his chest, looking away from her. "I couldn't give less of a shit what some weak, spineless, useless cunt like you would ever want. Now get the fuck out of my sight and if you try and talk to me again I'll throw you over the damn railing!" He boomed, his voice shooting down her spine, ringing in her ears.

She stood silent for a moment, not wanting to give in to his loud commands but she could feel the tears start to slip. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of these people. 'These people'. These damn people who pretended to be her guildmates. Three people who were allowing him to yell at her so viciously.

She turned on her heel, walking quickly the way she came. She held back tears, trying to understand what just happened.

She made a beeline for the entrance, ignoring the shouts from Natsu, asking where she was rushing off to. She didn't want to worry them or cry in front of the guild. They were having such a good time right now...she didn't want to spoil it.

"I'm fine." She called back in her strongest voice, hoping to hide how it trembled.

It only made her sound angry. Natsu recoiled in confusion as she stormed for the door, throwing it open and not bothering to try and close it behind her. She felt like she was about to burst. She wanted to be alone. Even if she was just on the street away from everyone, she knew she wanted to be away.

She heard fast footsteps behind her, quickly gaining. She sped up, biting back sadness and weaving nimbly through the crowds of strangers as she turned onto the main market road, hoping to lose her pursuer. As desperate as she was to get away she could feel her will being beaten on and worn down. Her steps slowed as tears spilled over her eyes.

"Stop Natsu! Leave me alone!" She yelled, refusing to look back.

She didn't want to meet her friends eyes. She felt pathetic, ready to curl up and wither away.

She stopped, her legs felt heavy. It was to early for her body to be as exhausted as it felt. Her knees trembled.

"Just leave me alone!" She stopped and covered her eyes.

She felt someone wrap their arms around her and recognized the ill-heated body as Gray's as soon as she came into contact with it. For a moment she tried to pull away, but eventually tucked into his chest, accepting his comfort.

"You really think that hot headed idiot would be smart enough to follow you right now?" He sounded scolding but not harsh.

Lucy didn't answer, tucking further into his arms. He was already here. He already knew she was crying. She didn't care in that moment.

He let her cry, eventually guiding her over to a bench and sitting down with her as she let everything out. There was not much else he could do but sit there and absorb her tears, so that's what he did, while occasionally stroking her hair or offering a kind word.

Lucy didn't know how long she sat there. Gray didn't have anymore of a clue than she did. Eventually she did calm down, pulling away from him. She wiped her eyes with her wrist, a sorrowful pout stuck on her face.

"Thank you." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"No problem." Gray leaned forward, eyeing her carefully. "What happened back there?" He nodded towards the guild.

She looked up at him, an unsure look on her face. She eased up a bit, but hung her head and looked at her hands which were resting carefully on top of her knees.

She sniffed. "Laxus thinks I am less than garbage." Her voice quivered as she scoffed. She tried her best to act like she didn't care, but felt her eyes water up again.

"What did he say to you?!" Gray demanded, his voice much sharper now.

"I just wanted to talk to him..." Her voice was light but stressed. "I just...wanted to know...what was wrong..." She shook her head.

Gray had heard enough. He didn't care what Laxus did. Whatever it was he was sure it was uncalled for to make her react like this.

"I'm going to beat that loser's ass!" He stood up quickly. "He's gunna pay for making you cry!"

The ice wizard took a step for the guild, but felt his arm quickly seized by Lucy. He reacted quickly, expecting as much from her.

"D-on't. You'll just get h-urt." She declined weakly.

"I don't care! He needs to learn some respect!"

He was determined and nothing was going to change that. Nothing but those watery, wide, syrup brown eyes. They were puffy and red, already starting to fill with tears again.

"Don't." She whimpered. "It won't change anything. It won't change what he said to me, or wha-t he thinks of me."

Gray frowned but lost his tension, melting like ice at her words.

"I guess you're right." He shrugged it off, looking away from her.

She let him go and tucked her arm back into place.

"I will be alright..." She promised after a long silence.

He tsked and looked down at his feet, shuffling a little. It seemed his only knowledge of comforting someone started and ended at punching whatever had caused the problem.

"He's a jerk. Who cares what he thinks." He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what else to say.

Lucy nodded as she started to build the dam back up inside her.

"It just caught me off guard..." She lied, peppering cheer into her voice.

She wished she had meant it, but in the end Laxus was a part of Fairy Tail, and a part of her family. It hurt to know he would think of her that way without getting to know her. They had not shared so much as a conversation with each other before...but he still found enough reason to loathe her.

She noticed Gray tense up again and his eyes lock on someone coming down the street. Her stomach flipped as she realized it was Freed. She dropped her head and hoped to go unnoticed by the swordsman. She waited, not wanting to look up.

"What the hell do you want?" Gray spat, proving that today was really not her lucky day.

He blocked the script mage's path to Lucy, not planning on moving.

Freed looked past Gray with a look of concern.

"I wanted to see if Lucy was okay." He answered.

"Bullshit." Grey narrowed his eyes.

Freed met them with an equally cold glare.

"Laxus' actions are not my own. How he spoke to her was unacceptable and inexcusable." His voice was unwavering and sharp.

"You're the one always following after him, praising him for every shit he takes, and now you are here to clean up his mess? Or do you just want to bother her?"

"I am worried about the well being of one of my guild-mates. If you continue to impede me you will find your own health at risk." He shot back without missing a beat.

"Stop fighting." Lucy snapped with whatever emotional energy she had left. "What do you want Freed?"

He walked past Gray, who just barely moved to get out of his way. His eyes did not leave the green haired mage.

"I truly am worried about you, and want to offer my sincerest apologize to you." He spoke much softer to her than he did with the challenging mage seething at him.

"I knew it! You are just trying to cover his tracks!" Grey flared up.

"That is not true." Freed defended himself. "Lucy should not have been talked to that way and I know Laxus is not going to admit that! Someone should express some regret."

Grey rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You are such a kissass." Gray seethed.

Freed looked away focusing himself on Lucy, who looked up at him curiously. Was he really just here to prevent her from being angry at Laxus? Surely the 'Thunder God' of Fairy Tail would not care if some lower class was upset with him.

"Lucy...I am not trying to defend him. You have every right to be angry with him right now...but you also do not know the full story. Laxus was speaking out of anger and confusion. It wasn't you that upset him."

His voice was soothing when he spoke so lowly to her. It made her want to drop her guard despite her better judgment. She felt like it was a trick and straightened up, watching him closely.

"Then...why?..." She shrugged, looking wearily hopeful for answers.

Freed looked away.

"It's not my place to say." he declined quickly.

Her eyes dropped, quickly filling with disappointment.

"His bark can be pretty unsettling...his bite is worse...but I promise you Lucy he cares about everyone in Fairy Tail. Sometimes he's just..." He paused, thinking of the perfect word.

"An idiot?" She finished.

Freed laughed reluctantly.

"For lack of a better description." He agreed.

Somehow it made her feel better to know someone felt bad about what was said. She was not the only one offended by Laxus' harsh words.

"The more you back down to him, the longer he will walk over you. I learned that the hard way." Freed admitted, disappointment staining his voice.

She nodded in response.

"Thank you for talking with me." She added politely .

Freed stood but didn't seem satisfied. He wished he could make things up to her and somehow erase the sting of Laxus' words.

"If, for any reason he starts to talk to you that way again, or you feel unsafe around him don't be afraid to come find me."

His offer made her weary. She didn't feel like she could trust him. He may seem kind now but moments ago he had allowed Laxus to speak how ever he liked. She didn't imagine him rushing to her side the next time he went on a verbal rampage.

She was hesitant to answer, but put on a small, false smile.

"I really appreciate it." She told him simply.

He seemed to pick up on her skepticism but didn't say anything.

"If you are really alright then I don't see any reason to anger Gray further." His blue eyes slid to the still scowling Ice-make mage. "I'll take my leave."

He walked past Gray, not giving him even a glance.

They watched him go in silence, unsure of what to say next. Gray sat next to her again and allowed Lucy to collect her thoughts.  
"You really believe him?" When he finally spoke his voice was demanding but it didn't bother Lucy.

"I don't see why he would come out of his way to toy with me." She answered dryly.

She was going on a feeling alone. He seemed genuinely bothered by the way Laxus had gone off at her, but she didn't know if that was enough to trust him.

"I guess." Gray huffed, his head snapping forward. "Let me walk you home." friendliness returning to his tone.

She nodded and stood up, hugging her arms as they started to move again.

He dropped her off at her door, asking if she wanted him to stay. When she said no he asked if he could get her anything. Again she said no. Gray was reluctant to leave, and promised to check on her if she didn't show up at the guild tomorrow.

She wanted to tell him he was being ridiculous and that she would be alright, but it was easier to say 'okay' and let him do as he pleased.

She slipped into a tight tank top and panties, not wasting time tucking herself into bed, planning on using the rest of the day to read and relax.

She breathed in the clean smells of her sheets, covers and pillows, relaxing her body. As she flipped through the pages of her book she found it difficult to prevent the thought of Laxus creeping into her mind.

She cringed at the thought and sighed with an uncomfortable wiggle.

"What did I do? What made him hate me?" She whispered to herself, pulling the book closer. Her eyes closed, her brow narrowed.

"What could have made him so angry? That picture? What does it have to do with him?" She thought.

A few slow minutes of contemplation made the room still. She rolled over and took a deep breath.

"I have to know." She decided firmly. "Somehow, I have to find out why."

The next morning she had a complete switch and woke up feeling ten feet tall. She had a mission and she damn well planed to complete it. It all went smoothly in her mind: she would march up to Laxus, tell him off, he would try to argue but she would silence him with a pointing finger. The longer she spoke, and boy did she have a lot to say, the more his face would shift into shame and embarrassment. He would apologize and they would straighten everything out.

She carried that prideful strut all the way to the guild, slamming her hand down in front of Gray and Erza.

"Where's Laxus?" She demanded firmly, looking around the main hall.

Gray looked confused and slightly worried, while Erza didn't seem affected by her new bossy mood in the slightest.

"He's there, grabbing breakfast." Erza nodded to the bar counter.

Lucy looked up and let out a squeak when she saw him.

Did Laxus get bigger? Had his arms always been as large as tree trunks? Was it legal to scowl that angrily at eggs and not expect them to jump off your plate?

All of her confidence vanished as she was faced with reality. Laxus would not cower down to her, he would not take back what he said, hell she doubted he would even look at her if she approached him.

Her shoulders dropped and her wide eyes stayed locked.

"Ohhh." She groaned looking defeated. "Nevermind." She grumbled, taking a seat.

Her friends looked at her.

"Did you need him for something?" Erza asked.

Gray tsked and looked worried about Lucy.

"What's going on?" He questioned.

"I just wanted to talk to him." Lucy mumbled lifting her head up enough to let her words out. "But it's useless. I should just let him hate me."

That made her heart sink. She really did want to know him, and to fix whatever problem she had caused.

"I doubt Laxus would hate you." Erza looked at the lightning mage skeptically.

"You shouldn't worry about what that loser thinks anyway." Gray insisted, taking a gulp of whatever he was drinking.

Lucy didn't respond, and kept her eyes on the table, examining the patterns in the wood.

"I think you should talk to him if something is bothering you." Erza announced, her attention switching to Lucy .

"Oh...no. It's fine." She sighed, not looking up.

Her fear of being smashed like a cute little bug was larger than the curiosity eating away at her.

"Laxus is not like everyone else in the guild. He's not going to be nice to you just because you're polite to him. The longer you shy away from him the harder it's going to be to convince him you're worth his time." Erza advised her, taking a bite of cake as she did.

"Laxus doesn't think any of us are worth his time." Gray growled, sitting back in his chair. "He even treats his 'friends' like they are lucky just to be in his presence."

Lucy glanced back at the blond. He had not managed to lose any of his intimidating appearance. Freed knew more than she did...but she knew that he would keep his loyalty to Laxus' secrets. Bickslow and Evergreen would do the same. Laxus was the only one who could tell her anything.

Maybe Erza had a point. Laxus valued strength in wizards, and so far she hadn't given him any reason to believe she possessed that strength. She blocked out the conversation her friends had started and took a few deep breaths.

She stood up, balling her hands into tight fists. She puffed up her chest and took a brave step forward, not giving herself enough time to think this through, or to let fear creep back into her mind.

With every step she took she regretted her decision more and more, but told herself to stay strong. She forced her shrinking steps to be faster, her eyes locked on her target.

She was in earshot of Laxus' when she opened her mouth to speak. The moment she did, he stood up.

"Thanks for the meal." He told Mira in his gruff voice, and pulled his earphones over his ears.

Lucy stopped in her tracks, frowning at her bad timing.

Mira nodded, and Laxus turned, his cold eyes giving Lucy a glare as he headed for the stairs.

She slumped again, her strong will crumbling for the second time.

"Well he's nice to you." She accused Mira playfully to ease her own disappointment.

"Laxus knows not to pick a fight with me." She answered in her fluttering voice.

"Seems like you and Freed are the only ones he won't steamroll right over." Lucy answered glumly.

"That's because we are the only ones who don't let him." She corrected.

Lucy lifted a brow at her.

"Freed goes along with anything Laxus says." she accused. "He should be flatter than any of us by now."

Mira laughed.

"That used to be true, to a point, but since the Fantasia Parade, Freed stands up for himself. Things have gone back to the way they were before Ivan left the guild."

"Ivan? That's Laxus' father right?" Lucy sat up, sounding more interested.

Mira nodded.

"Before Ivan left, Laxus was a lot more easy going, and Freed was always there to correct him if he misspoke." She smiled at the fond memory. "But… then Ivan leaked some of Fairy Tail's most precious secrets...before that, though he was never a mean man. He was loud, and he would yell, and he would boast about being the strongest..." She paused and shook her head sorrowfully. "But he was not a bad man...Laxus and I really looked up to him. No one expected him to betray the guild."

Lucy looked away, trying to imagine how that would feel. Only hearing stories about Ivan made it easy to see him as a vicious, evil and cold wizard hell bent on ending Fairy Tail. To Laxus though...it was his once caring father trying to destroy his family.

"I want to talk to him...I want him to tell me these things." Lucy interjected with sorrow in her voice.

"Then don't stop trying. If you annoy him enough, he's bound to listen to you eventually." Mira hummed encouragingly.

Lucy grumbled to herself wishing it were just that easy.

It took her a few weeks to work up the courage to try again, but she found an opportunity when the guild invited bands to play for a night. Most of the guild gathered by the stage and enjoyed the show while they ate and drank. Laxus and his group had not sat too far from her own. He even looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him before.

She could hear Evergreen talking to Bickslow about something as she approached, and cleared her throat to speak.

In an instant Laxus stood up, declaring he needed something to drink, and walked away.

That was enough to convince her that he was willfully ignoring her, so she dropped it for the night, though it was much harder to enjoy the acts while being constantly bothered by the fact that he would not make this easy for her.

Another week and she tried again, with the same reaction. Each time she was getting farther and farther away. She was sure he had memorized how it sounded when she walked, and was using that to avoid her. Even when she approached him from behind he still found a way to drop whatever he was doing, end any conversation he was having, and leave her without letting her speak a word. It was starting to be more frustrating and insulting. His childish behaviour was making it easier to approach him without fear, as she felt she wouldn't have the chance to speak to him.

All of her Laxus chasing was wearing at her nerves. She felt like she wasn't making any progress.

Another week, and she found herself next to the Thunder Legions table, watching Laxus leave yet again after another failed attempt. She leaned against a pillar, not surprised by this at all. Seeing him walk away was now common to her. She started contemplating new methods of ambush and the possibility of bringing Natsu and Erza into the equation. Surely if they planned things right the three of them could capture the lightning slayer.

"Why doncha sit down Lucy." she heard Bickslow speak.

She realized they were all looking her way, and stood up straight.

"Ah...no...that's alright..." They had never spoken to her on any of her past attempts to reach him at their table. Usually they just pretended she wasn't there, much like Laxus.

"It's okay Blondie...we won't bite." Bickslow snickered, his head dropping to a side.

"Leave her be." Freed scolded. "But he's right. You are allowed to join us if you so please." He added.

She looked unsure but nodded, sitting next to the green haired man.

"I'm just running in circles." She sighed. "Is this even worth trying for? Do I have to lock him in a room just so he will talk to me?"

It made them laugh.

"He would talk to the walls first." Evergreen cooed. "But it's nothing against you."

"Yeh. You really can't force him to do anything." Bickslow agreed.

"He's thick headed that way, but you're at least affecting him. That's more than most." Freed nodded calmly.

"How am I affecting him? I haven't even said anything to him!"

They laughed again.

" 'that damn brat just won't leave it alone'." Bickslow spouted in a deeper voice, imitating Laxus.

" 'She had better mind her own damn business. She's really starting to piss me off!'." Evergreen followed his example, both of them smiling as they said it.

"Oh and let's not forget him looking over his shoulders every ten minutes, or needing to know your exact location at any point in the day." Freed shook his head.

"I knew he was going out of his way to avoid me!" Lucy frowned, looking hopeless.

"Come on kid. It would be waaaaaaay worse if he just ignored you. Fact is, he knows if you do say something to him, you'll be right. Then he will feel like a jackass." Bickslow tried to cheer her up. She could hear his tikis echo off 'jackass' behind him.

"He is a jackass." Lucy pouted.

"You aren't wrong there." Evergreen nodded. "He's as stubborn as one anyway. I'm really glad you haven't given up on him. Most people would have by now."

"I might have to...this is exhausting. I don't think I'm getting through to him." Lucy shook her head. Part of her wanted to be done with this situation, and wanted to stop letting it distract her from her life.

They all looked worried at that statement, and went back to being quiet.

Lucy looked up to see the sudden change and turned to Freed for answers.

He noticed her glance and sighed.

"Laxus refuses to go on missions...he's not eating well...he is quiet more so than usual. It all started the day he lost his temper with you." Freed reluctantly explained.

"You blame me for that?" She narrowed her gaze, and moved away.

"Of course not! No!" Freed shook his head, holding his hands up in protest. "But...it does involve you. I really think that once you speak to him things will get better. I'm not accusing you of anything."

"Freed, you know more than me. I know you are hiding things from me that you could tell me. That might make this easier."

He looked away and paused. She watched him contemplate his next answer.

"I...It wouldn't be right if you heard it from me..." He refused.

She crossed her arms and sat back, shaking her head.

"Then help me. Do something besides ask me to chase him around for the rest of my life! If you want me to do the impossible then help me."

Freed's face shifted to irritation, but it wasn't aimed at her. He stayed quiet for a long time, his friends watching him for any indication of what they should do. For a moment Lucy pitied them, knowing how uncomfortable this must have made them. She dismissed it quickly, having built herself up to face Laxus seemingly endless times made facing Freed easier. Even if she knew in theory he would destroy her in a fight, at least his biceps weren't larger than her torso.

"Fine." he finally huffed, sitting up and closing his eyes. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, quickly jotting something down on the clean sheet. "Come to this address at eight a'clock tonight. I will do what I can."

She looked over what he wrote and nodded, slipping it into the holster usually reserved for her keys.

"I don't think I can do much better than lock you in a room with him though. Let's hope the walls have little to say."

"Thank you." She said briefly, and stood up. She turned to walk away, feeling the tension in the air dissipate. Maybe she would regret this...she was almost positive she could expect more yelling, but didn't let those thoughts bother her. For the first time in weeks she felt like she had made some real progress. Maybe she was finally on the track to get some real answers.

* * *

 **I feel like this chapter is really fast...Idk. Lemme know what ya think.**

 **Also if there are any theories you guys want to share feel free to comment. I don't know how predictable I am being. VuV**

 **Update!: I want to give a big thank you to my lovely editor who picks through all of my many mistakes. I have no clue what I would do without you!  
**


	3. Purple Walls

Lucy must have read and reread the paper in her hands a dozen times by now but it was not enough to convince her that she was in the right place. In her mind Freed would have invited her to a calm, public had been expecting a quiet pub or restaurant. Somewhere calm and away from the prying eyes of the guild, and anyone who would interrupt them. Maybe even a place with live music. She had hoped for a setting where she could speak with Laxus comfortably.

The building she stood in front now looked like a residence. Again she matched house number with the one on the paper, and then the street.

When she couldn't find any differences she let her hands fall to her sides and inspected the house itself. Most of it was made out of dark maroon brick, segments of the walls were broken up by thick wooden pillars embedded into the masonry. The roof was made up of black shingles that reminded her of scales. She could see thick green leaves spilling over the back of the house, indicating there was a large tree in the back yard. Other than the tired old mail box and the grass that could use a trim the house seemed to be well maintained. The yellow glow of lights resting in the windows told her someone must be home.

She took a breath, gripping the paper in her hands tighter, making it crinkle. Was she standing outside of Laxus' home right now? Or maybe Freed's?

Having her show up at Laxus' house seemed less like a helpful gesture and found it more likely that Freed just wanted to see her get ripped to shreds. Maybe he hated her too and just wanted to see his 'thunder god' finally do her in. She swallowed thickly and stepped through the iron gate.

She followed the cobblestone path to the large, oily black door. Through the thick wood she could hear a soft hum of music on the other side. Taking one more calming breath, she reached forward, and gave three firm knocks to the solid wood.

With every knock she felt anxiety pound deeper into her, making the idea of a ding-dong-ditch sound like a safer, smarter plan. Would Laxus answer, see her, and chomp her head off right there? Would she take ten thousand volts right to the dome for bothering him? She whined to herself when she heard the door knob shift.

Instead of a towering, snarling dragon, she was meet with the always noble Freed, wearing a calm smile. She sighed feeling her stress melt away. She didn't care who's house this was, or why he was there. As long as she didn't have to face Laxus alone, she didn't care about anything.

"Good evening Lucy." He greeted her politely, opening the door wider for her to come in.

"Hi." She said in a wavering, soft voice.

Try as she might she couldn't make her movements feel natural. She felt her limbs tuck into her and her body start to tense.

"Make yourself at home..." Freed shut the door behind her.

She noticed that he had his hair up in a high ponytail, and he was missing the jacket and scarf she was so used to seeing him in. She knew it was silly but she almost felt like he was more exposed like this without his token items. Lucy looked around the room, hoping to distract herself from her buzzing mind, knowing it would do little good.

She saw a large radio to the corner playing a faded green music lacrima of a band she had never heard before. There was a large leather couch and matching loveseat to the left. Both looked worn but comfortable. Directly across from the loveseat was a brown arm chair. Each side of the couch had end tables, only one with a lamp on top of it. The end tables didn't match the metal coffee table, and seemed out of place if you looked at them too closely. Above the couch were a few framed music lacrima, all set in gold. She leaned forward to read the plaques. She was not particularly interested in what they would say but anything to distract her quivering mind was gladly accepted.

Two of them were bands she had never heard of. The one to the far right was a very popular bad who called themselves 'Handsome King'. Though they had disband years ago their music was still very popular. So popular in fact that Lucy listened to them herself.

"So this is Laxus' house?" She asked, not needing many more clues to that discovery.

"Good assumption." His answer came from the next room over. There was a window cut out of the wall that led to the kitchen, so she could still see him.

"Well I didn't see you as the leather and metal kinda guy." She paused, taking longer than nessessary to inspect the inscriptions, bracing herself for the next answer she would seek.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"In the shower." Freed answered again.

She noticed that his tone was not the usual unwavering confidence. Though the shift was subtle it was still there. She watched him put away dishes, and thought maybe that was his distraction. She looked away and sat carefully on the edge of the couch.

"Why are you here?" She wanted to keep the conversation going.

"I come over to cook for him every now and again. Usually the rest of the Legion joins us." He came out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel. "Naturally I asked them not to come tonight."

She nodded, looking at the floor. She wanted to appear natural and confident.

"Yeah...less witnesses." She tried to joke.

Freed gave a scoff of amusement.

"I won't let him hurt you, not that he would." He sat down in the arm chair.

"I don't know. The way he glares at me makes me think otherwise."

Freed nodded understandingly.

"He likes to look mean. It keeps people away."

She looked up, about to ask what he meant by that.

"Freed, stop buying such girly ass shampoo. I'm tired of smelling like a spring meadow!" Laxus voice boomed from a doorway between the couches and the kitchen.

Lucy could have sworn that Freed jumped just as much as she did hearing that voice.

Seconds later he emerging, wearing pajama pants, a white towel draped around his shoulders. He stopped instantly seeing Lucy, his expression souring. To her relief his glare didn't stay on her long, and shot to Freed instead.

"What is she doing here?" He demanded, a vein sticking out of his forehead.

"I invited her." Freed answered, having fixed his voice to sound cool again, but now it sounded false to Lucy.

She didn't miss the ripple of lightning that ran over Laxus' arms.

"Who the fuck told you that was a good idea? Last I checked you don't live here. The hell you inviting people over for?" While his dominating voice still sent chills down Lucy's spine with every syllable, she could tell it was not the same gut wrenching rage she had struck her with the last time they had spoken.

Freed didn't answer verbally, but the look he gave the slayer shut him up.

He growled and stepped into the living room. He looked back up at Lucy for a moment before crossing the floor. He dropped himself in the love seat across from Freed.

"You're a hateful bitch Justine. And I know where you sleep." He snapped, starting to dry his short hair with the towel.

"Duly noted." Freed crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on Laxus.

Laxus sat back, seemingly unaffected script mage's cool gaze.

"Whadda' want Lucy." His tone clearly expressed how annoyed he was.

"Answers! And I think I deserve them!" His grouchy attitude made her frustration flare up at once.

"Of course you do." Laxus didn't look at her, reaching into the side table drawer, pulling out a pack of cigars. "What don't you deserve princess?" he sneered as he pulled one out and cut the tip.

Freed's gaze narrowed on him but was ignored.

Lucy straightened herself up. Her stomach twisted in fear but she hated cowering down to him.

"I should have the right to know why you're being such an ass to me." She demanded.

"Don't make yourself sound so special. I'm an ass to everyone." He lit the end of the cigar and took a slow drag. "You aren't getting any special attention." smoke rose from his lips as he spoke, as if he needed anymore dragon imagery.

"That's a lie!" She accused, becoming more angry with his aloof attitude. "You don't avoid anyone else in the guild. You go out of your way to ignore me, and I want to know why."

He mumbled something under his breath and took another drag.

"I'm not saying shit." he blew the smoke out in a billowing line. "I don't want anything to do with ya. That's why I keep away from ya."

"But _why_? What did I do?!" She was letting more of her anger stain her voice.

"Because you annoy me! Ain't that enough for you?" His voice raised to challenge hers.

It made her shoulders drop, another bolt of fear shooting through her. She could feel her braver wavering.

An annoyed sigh cut the anger building in the room. Freed stood up, scowling down at Laxus, who again didn't seem bothered by the look.

"If you want to be difficult that's fine." He held up two fingers and waved them in a half circle. Walls of blocky text shot up from the ground and went through the ceiling.

"This barrier will become void once Lucy has gotten the answers she wants. Until then you won't be able to get past them." He turned and started to walk back for the kitchen.

Laxus shot up and was across the room almost before Freed could get out of the barrier.

Instead Laxus slammed into the wall, a second too slow to grab Freed.

"Get rid of the runes Freed." He growled, slamming a fist on the wall, causing a red burst of texts to bloom from his hit.

Freed didn't look impressed.

"Talk. To. Her." he broke up his speech making it clear he wouldn't back down.

Lucy then realized just how small Freed was compared to Laxus. He was a tall man, almost six feet tall, but the faux dragon made him look absolutely tiny. She wondered how he could stand up to the towering man with no fear on his face, and no shake in his boots. Freed turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen.

"Damn it Freed!" Laxus roared, punching the script wall again. "Get back here! You little bitch!"

"Talk to her!" Freed called back much more calmly in comparison. "You are making this much more painful than it has to be." he added, his voice was almost taunting.

Lucy now felt like she was trapped in a cage with a wild animal. She hoped the runes didn't apply to her as well, but didn't dare ask. She took a few more breaths trying to slow her pounding heart. It was too easy to imagine him letting out his rage on her once that wall became boring to hit.

She shivered when she heard an annoyed growl, and Laxus take the seat Freed had been in.

He was closer to her now, and while he still looked more than unhappy, but he didn't try to jump up and ring her neck.

He was quiet and closed his eyes, flicking the ashes of his cigar into a trey near by. A few agonizing minutes ticked by, and she thought about restating her question. She was grateful that there was a music lacrima playing. She didn't think she could take complete stillness.

"You're better off not knowing." His voice made her jump when he decided to speak up. "But seeing how SOMEONE wants to make things complicated I'll tell ya."He made his voice loud enough for Freed to hear.

She swallowed thickly, focusing all of her attention on him.

He paused, and looked up at her with his stormy eyes.

"Your mother's name was Layla, right?" He asked with a sudden sharpness.

The room went quiet. Lucy didn't know how to respond. She sat staring at Laxus, unsure how to answer.

Eventually his eyes snapped to her and their vicious sting told her to say something.

"How did you know that?" She almost choked on her words and felt her nerves tighten.

Laxus looked away from her and sat back in his chair. It looked like he had expected a different answer, or rather, had been hopeful she would say something to contradict him.

He took another long drag off of his cigar, fighting his brows from furrowing. He shook his head. Lucy waited but felt ready to scream.

"Layla Heartfilia." Laxus mumbled softly, blowing smoke as he did. "Layla Heart-fucking-filia." he repeated sharper.

He closed his eyes, visibly fighting back anger.

"How...do you know her name?" Lucy repeated, trying to recreate the dominance in his commanding voice, but instead heard her voice pathetically crack and shake .

"Because that was not the first name she took _princess_!" he snapped back, his eyes flashing open specifically to petrify her.

More lightning flicked over his body as he stamped out his cigar in the tray to annoyed to enjoy it properly. She watched him, having the feeling he would prefer to stamp her out.

"How...?" Her voice was soft and starting to shake.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" His voice raised. "The first name she took was 'Dreyar'. 'Bout twenty three _'_ _magical_ _'_ years ago, she fucked my dear old dad and brought yours truly into existence!" He didn't say this with any kind of joy but rather contempt.

She snapped her head away from him and felt her eyes start to water.

"Shut up." Her voice trembled.

"Oh don't worry, it gets better. Apparently she found some rich fuck to take her in and started a family with him. Who knows if she ever divorced my pops. What a rotten bitch." he barked at her.

"Stop. Talking!" she ordered, curling more into herself. "That didn't happen." she stood up, but couldn't make her legs move. She felt her fury building with every word he spat at her. It sickened her that he could make up such vicious ideas.

"You think I'm a liar?" Laxus asked, cocking his head at her.

He stood up so quickly it made Lucy flinch. She braced herself, expecting him to slap her. That thought made tears run down her cheeks, pure fear making her throw her arms up to defend herself. She could already feel the pain stinging her skin.

"Here." Laxus growled.

She didn't move immediately, thinking a slap could still come at any second. Slowly she opened her eyes and lowered her hands to see him holding a very old and tattered picture. He held out his arm, waiting for her to realize he wasn't going to hurt her.

She took it cautiously, whipping her eyes clear the tears so she could see the image. It was blurry through her watery eyes, but the woman in the photo was undoubtedly her mother. She held a small child in her arms. Half of the image had been torn away but it looked like another person could have been next to her.

"I don't like looking at my old man. Pisses me off." he explained.

She was unable to take her eyes of of the picture.

"I always thought my mom would have been a better person. Guess you can keep that picture. I don't have time to miss people like her." He moved away and slumped back in the chair with a huff.

Lucy sprang up.

"She….was a good person! She was an amazing person!" She defended. "She always-"

Another sharp look from Laxus silenced her.

"You ever hear about me?" He snapped.

She didn't understand, and it was clear.

"You ever once hear my name uttered in that fucking mansion you grew up in, Lucy?" He spoke her name like it was painful to say.

She tried to think back to anytime her mother may have mentioned or hinted at having another child. She dropped her head and shook her head no.

"Weird ain't it? She's the one who gave it to me." he paused. "I don't think 'amazing people' abandon their children. I don't think they leave them with madmen. Good people don't forget they had a son." he refused. "Your mom was a fucking bitch."

He stood up and turned to face the kitchen door.

"Sorry, 'our' mom." He corrected himself before walking through the purple barrier that dissipated, and past Freed who had been mostly forgotten.

The smaller mans eyes were sharp and directed at the man he usually admired. If looks could kill, Laxus wouldn't have a pulse.

"Dinner ready yet?" Laxus asked as he passed him, disregarding the look completely.

Freed didn't answer but stiffened when he realized it was Lucy's turn to glare.

"That's what you couldn't tell me?" Sadness and anger shook her voice.

"Lucy...it wouldn't have been right for me to-"

She cut him off.

"Screw propriety! You couldn't have just told me we _might_ be related?! That was too difficult!?" She accused. "No, it's way better that I get to hear it from **_HIM_**!" She waved her arm at the kitchen door.

"I didn't think he would-"

"WOULD WHAT!?" She yelled. "disregard my feelings? You thought he was gunna be a nice guy about this? Maybe show some maturity?" She demanded. "Why would you expect so much from someone who tried to destroy Fairy Tail just to soothe his ego?!"

That made Freed pull back, genuine hurt in his eyes.

"Lucy. I-" he started.

"I don't want to hear you take his side again!" She refused turning for the door.

"Stop yelling in my house!" Laxus contradictory yelled from the kitchen.

Her response to him was the door slamming behind her.

The walk home seemed instant. She threw herself onto her bed, trying to block herself from the anger and sorrow that hurled itself at her. She shook her head telling herself it wasn't true.

"I don't want to think about this." Her voice heaved as she made herself sit up. She reached for a book when she realized she still had Laxus' picture in her hand.

She glared at the murky brown tones that compiled the photo. She stared down at her mother's face and whimpered, tossing the torn paper away.

She threw herself back onto her bed and tucked into the covers. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks.

"You didn't marry a Dreyar." She refused. "You were my mother! Laxus just wants to hurt me." She hugged her pillow close. She sobbed, muffling her cries in the plush surface.

She felt a cold draft blow in through the window.

"Luce?" It was Natsu's familiar voice that called out to her.

She peeked out from under the fluffy blanket, eyes still dripping with tears.

"Hi." She sniffed.

"You okay?" He asked, knowing full well she wasn't.

He eased in through the window onto her bed and shut it. She shook her head slowly. He studied her.

"Ya wanna talk about it?"

She thought about it and sniffed.

"No." She declined miserably.

He nodded, his worried expression deepening.

"What are you doing here so late?" She looked up trying to collect herself.

"I couldn't sleep…" he answered honestly.

She looked back at him and paused. After a short contemplation she pulled the covers up and offered him a place. They had slept in the same bed before, why make a big deal about it now?

He rushed forward and tucked himself next to her. She felt his natural body heat fill the blankets, making her feel cozy. It relaxed her shot nerves. She closed her eyes and moved closer to him, wanting more of that comfort. She didn't notice how close she had gotten, or when he wrapped his arms around her. She tucked into his chest and fell asleep quickly, harsh words and a lightning dragon's hatred fading away.

* * *

 **Alright, you are all really smart cookies, and I'm sure you saw this coming, but hey at least I _tried_ to be sneaky. **

**I know some of the characteristics may be a bit exaggerated but I hope it's not too severe.**

 **I love reading the feedback and hearing your thoughts on this story. Thanks so much for reading!**


	4. Thick Clouds

**Alrighty! I have to start by saying I am SO sorry this took so long. Long story short, life happened, and so did writers block. I am still continuing this story and I really hope that all of the lovely readers that were anticipating this chapter are not disappointed with it.**

 **Onto the good news.**

 **The reason this story took a back seat for such a long time is because it is one I want to do well. I thought I had a plan when I started it, and it quickly fell through. NOW I have a good portion mapped out (somewhat), and I am happy with the plans I have made. I do not know how consistent my updates will be, but now that I have some direction, it should go a LOT faster, at least for a good batch of updates.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has waited so patiently.**

* * *

Squelch, squish, squelch, squish. Lucy focused ahead, as the sounds of her soft heeled boots were sucked into the mud, and tugged back out again by her own growingly sore legs. Each step made her body swing dramatically from one side, to the other. Her eyes were lazily focused on the back of the black, wet vest of the man ahead. She knew Natsu wouldn't be cold. Happy wasn't thrilled with the wet and the rain but his fur must have done something to keep him out of the chill. Lucy was the only one that seemed to be suffering. With every step her strides became shorter, and her partners became farther away. She was falling behind despite her best efforts to push on.

A triumphant voice in her head encouraged her to toughen up and ignore how her feet pulsed in her freezing boots. The sinking cold had made it through the leather and into her socks. Still she kept her eyes ahead locked on her target, giving her something of a goal to work towards. Natsu's form seemed to rock with the swaying world created by the excessive bobbing of her head. She let out a heavy breath of air, a whine carried on the puff, and let her hands and head fall.

Like a stop light had appeared in front of him, Natsu halted in his tracks, and twisted around to look at Lucy.

"I can't keep this up much longer." She admitted in a defeated and tired groan. "I'm sorry. Can we set up camp for the night?"

The thought of the task made her body shudder and ache. They would have to find a somewhat dry patch of ground, set up the small tent Natsu had in his bag, heat up soggy food and bundle up in any extra clothes they had to spare. She shivered and tucked her arms closer to her sides, fighting back a tired sob.

She heard the sticky sloshing as Natsu backtracked and walked towards her. It mixed with the incessant, pathetic pattering of rain around them.

"Hua? You gotta be kidding. It's hardly coming down now." he looked up at the cloudy sky.

The sun was still up somewhere glowing behind the thick stew of clouds hovering above them.

He lifted his hand to test the rain himself, thinking maybe it had gotten thicker than he realized. That wasn't the case. One, two, three, thin little drops hit his hand in a sporadic pattern. He couldn't feel the sting every drop brought to the regular person's skin. He let his hand fall and looked back to Lucy.

"I know, but it's been sprinkling like this all day. I'm soaked to the bone and the wind is killing me. The ground is so sloshy I feel like it's going to give out under me." She looked out to the edge of the mountain road.

Wouldn't that just make her day? A rock slide of sludgy ground sweeping her out from under her feet. She would tumble down the hill side until she hit a tree, or a rock.

"I can't go any further like this. I need to call it today." She knew Natsu wouldn't like the sound of that.

There was a lot of 'daylight' left if you could call the dim, struggling rays that passed through the clouds and the trees real light.

Natsu did open his mouth to protest, but the words got caught when Lucy flashed those big brown eyes up at him. The frown on her face was carved so deep he thought for a moment it may stay frozen like that forever. She was tired and she had given it her all not to tell him.

"Come on Natsu. I'm cold." She pleaded, sliding a hand up the strap on her back to adjust it. The throb of soreness had set in a few miles back, and was now a digging pain on her shoulder.

He sighed and let his shoulders fall. His feet were sore and is back could use a break. The chain of missions they had linked together was easier on paper. In theory they should have been able to complete the requests in one big circle, that would start in Magnolia, and end in Magnolia. They would wrap everything up in a neat little bow and return with cash to burn. He hadn't considered how hard the weather and travel could have, and eventually did hit them.

They had made good time on the previous missions so he knew they could afford a little set back. If she could rest today and get back on the horse tomorrow, they would still make it in time to please their customer.

"Alright Luce. You're right." he agreed finally, his tone softer with concern, rather than the disappointment she expected. "Let's go just a few more miles."

Miles? A few more miles? Lucy hardly wanted to take another step!

"Natsu!" her body sagged with the exhausted complaint.

The exertion of the word was enough to make her wobble in place.

"Just a little further Luce." He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders to still her. "There should be a town pretty close to us. We can find a hotel and stop there." he knew the sound of a dry bed would light the fire under her to make the extra effort.

Some hope flickered in her eyes for a second before she thought of the pain in her feet. Her hope quickly died out and Natsu frowned. She had really had it today. He could guess she had been pushing herself all week for his sake.

"Okay." She answered with a nod, and hiked the straps of her pack tighter.

She closed her eyes and told herself she could make it, despite her body telling her to slow down and stop. When she opened them again Natsu had switched his pack around to his front, and was kneeling before her.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you the rest of the way." He offered easily.

"You sure about that Natsu? She might break your back!" Happy insisted without the usual chipper tone in his voice. He was feeling the travel as much as the rest of the team.

Lucy wanted to swat at Happy but she didn't have the energy to scold the pest. She thought about declining. Natsu may be holding up better than her, but she knew better than to think he was in perfect condition. She groaned at her weakness when she slipped her legs into his arms and hugged him around the neck. She couldn't stand the cramping in her sides, the ache in her legs or the soreness born from every step any longer. She had to surrender and accept his kindness.

He stood up and bounced her higher onto her back.

"Just a little further Luce. You'll be nice and warm soon." He swore.

She could practically hear the smile in his voice.

She gave a soft 'mhmm' back but she was already feeling the heat. His body was radiating like a furnace, damp wet skin with blood running hot underneath. She hugged him, her head laying on the back of his neck. She felt him start to move, the bobbing in his step making her body bark at her for daring to move or be moved. Somewhere in her mind it was registered that the ground was moving in that same uncontrolled bob her swaying body had made earlier but what she saw or heard, or smelled was quickly being written over by the heavy veil of sleep. Her hands would stay clasped around her partner's neck, but her eyes were dropping.

She fell asleep.

When she opened her eyes again it was brighter, not by much but the trees around them had thinned out enough to make the day clearer. The rain was growing heavier but after having a bit of rest it didn't seem as excruciating. She tapped on Natsu's shoulder, and told him she would walk the rest of the way, thinking it would only be a block or two.

After the second hotel to turn them away she started to regret her decision. Apparently they weren't the only travelers trying to escape the rain. The town wasn't that large, but was a well-known resting spot. They were turned away twice more before they came across something of a bed and breakfast. A nice elderly couple owned the building, and when they asked for a room they were happy to offer up a room for the 'sweet couple' as they kept calling them. Lucy didn't care enough to correct them. Judging by the house they were in she could assume they wouldn't let her share a bed with Natsu if they knew the real circumstances. She was used to Natsu climbing into her bed anyway, so it wouldn't hurt to sleep next to him willingly this time.

The team was led up one flight of stairs that was hidden behind the 'counter' of the lobby. It shaped a tight L, the walls almost brushing Natsu's shoulders as he ascended behind the older woman.

He was talking away with her, but Lucy didn't know what about. She had apparently spaced out for the beginning of the conversation so jumping in now was a waste of effort. Either way the older woman took to Natsu like a dream, laughing away at the outrageous things he said.

They carried on down the hall that was a bit more spacious than the stairwell, but looked like it leaned to the left. There were seven doors on the right side of the wall, two on the leaning left. The wallpaper was faded, maybe having been a pink or salmon at one point. Today it was a dusty brown with faded yellow stripes through it, washed-out flowers speckled the geometric forms in a pattern. The print reminded Lucy of the queasy person gets when hot with a fever.

The woman let the door swing open to one of the seven rooms. It did so with ease, and a loud creek. Inside of the room was a double bed and a dresser that was placed squarely at the end, pushed up against the wall. Even with it being shoved back there wasn't a ruler's length of distance between the mattress and drawers. There was a chair, and a standing lamp, with a new white shade topping the rusty gold metal stand. The curtains that hung over the one window also looked relatively new, adding a pop of light blue into the murky room.

Lucy would have minded the dismal looking space more if it wasn't absolutely filled to the brim with the love of its owners. What needed to be new was new, and everything did look clean. Just old.

"Dear?" the fail voice was directed at her.

Lucy jumped and realized the old woman was looking at her.

"Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. What were you asking me?" She mentally scolded herself for being so rude.

"Oh bless. That's okay dear. I was just asking if you like the room well enough." The woman laughed and took Lucy's hands, patting the back of it several times before giving her fingers a squeeze.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Lucy put on a smile she would have meant if she were dry and warm.

"Well if that's all I'm going to go back down to Paw and help him with the desk." she nodded and let her go.

The woman shuffled past her and shut the door, leaving Natsu, Happy and Lucy to themselves.

Lucy finally let her guard drop completely. She let her body fall back in a heavy heap on the bed.

The old springs snag but she didn't care. Any bed at that point was an answered prayer.

Lucy felt like a new person after a hot shower. She chased away all of the chill and dressed in a nice fluffy house coat, after drying every bit of moisture a towel would accept. Her skin was still soft and sensitive when she sat down in an old creaking chair, across from Natsu who was now on the bed. It was the only place to sit in the tightly packed room.

"Lucky we found this place." She commented, still rubbing a towel against the roots of her hair.

Natsu looked up at her and felt something lift off his chest. He was glad Lucy liked this place. He had started to worry when they were turned away so many times. He knew it wasn't perfect, but she felt safe and comfortable. He felt like he had done a good job.

"Yeah." he agreed, a smile coming back onto his face. "I talked to Pops while you were in the shower. They cook for anyone staying here, so I told them we would come down for dinner. They said it was complimentary."  
That calmed Lucy further. They wouldn't have to go outside and hunt for a place to eat, or settle for snacks and scraps from their bags.

"Good. Dinner is taken care of. Thank you Natsu." She smiled up at him and he returned the gesture. "Just be sure not to eat them out of house and home."

Natsu laughed and nodded, at the same time giving her a look that sheepishly said 'no promises'.  
Once her hair was dry enough to her liking she returned to the bathroom down the hall to get dressed. She had chosen a comfortable tank top shirt and had been slipping on a tan pair of shorts when she heard someone snappishly knock on the door.  
"Just a moment." She called and went to button her waist band.

No luck. These shorts were old and apparently a button had snapped off at some point. She flipped open the medicine cabinet, and was fortunate enough to find a safety pin. Another snappish knock.

"One moment!" she repeated more clearly and angled her body to see the cloth better. She quickly tried to fasten the two together close enough to work for the time being.

The pressure of whoever was on the other side of that door was weighing down on her and making her

hands clumsier than usual. She hissed gently as she watched her hands miss the clasp, and her breath pull the fabric back out of place. She almost stuck herself a few times with the pin. She focused harder and pinched the metal bars a few more times before she felt them clasp together. The exhaled happily and turned for the door.

"Alright! It's all yours!" She called. "Pushy pants." She mumbled under her breath as she twisted the knob.

She swung the door open, expecting to receive maybe as much as a glare as she passed the person, then be done with this encounter for the rest of her life.

Instead she felt her body lock up and stomach churn. Familiar green hair, wet, so slick that it looked like heavy straight wire rods clinging to the man before her.

"Freed!" her mind snapped to the name, and shot it through her mouth before she could prevent it.

He seemed just as alarmed to see she was the one he was rushing.

"Oh...sorry." She yelped quickly.

She noticed that he was drenched. Not just wet. He was dripping and making a puddle on the floor. His clothes and face were plastered with wet mud. It was smeared around in thin streaks over his face like he had tried to wipe it off. The mud was caked around his eyes, nose and in the roots of his hair. His clothes were clinging to his body and looked ten pounds heavier.

She swallowed when he didn't say anything.

"I didn't mean to take so long." She had to break the silence as they switched places. He may have given her some kind of nod but she didn't pick up on it if he had. He closed the door as soon as she was out of the way, and her heart rested.

She stepped to the other side of the hall and grabbed the wall. She wondered if she should be angry at Freed for his impatiens or at least for not recognizing her or...saying SOMETHING to her. It wasn't exactly common to run into another team on unrelated missions. She felt a twinge in her heart and looked down at the floor. Were they following them? Trying to find her and Natsu?...No...No she figured he wouldn't have been shocked to see her if they had been trying to find her team. He would have had something more to say to her if his intentions were to find her. She rested knowing she wasn't being hunted by the Thunder Legion.

She leaned her arm on the wall for support. The Thunder Legion...if Freed was here it was likely they were here as well. Laxus was probably would be with them. No, not just Laxus. A drenched, drippy, crabby Laxus. If the grudge he held on Gajeel for attacking the guild was any indication to the lengths of which Laxus could hold a grudge she could assume the anger he felt towards here was still fresh in his mind. She closed her eyes and told herself he wasn't here. If he was...she would just hide away in her room and sneak out early tomorrow. Maybe it wasn't too late to run out into the woods and camp.

She whined at the thought, and all too real reality of that outcome. She decided that she would at least find out if he **was** here before she went to sleep in the rain, and try and avoid him if he did turn up.

She heard the clatter of doors down the hall, then talking people starting her way. She didn't want to be caught in the hall looking like she could be sick so she started to move. The floor creaked under her as she took slow, unsure steps. The voices of two men grew louder behind her, their heavier steps making the floor scream and rock. They passed by her easily and descended through an opening at the end of the hall, one she knew led into the lobby area. She paused when they had gone, and decided finally her room was the safest bet. She needed to rest anyway. If Laxus WAS here, he would have to make an effort to find her.

Well…

 _at least until dinner time…_


	5. He was Interesting

Dry, warm but still heavy. Lucy remembered going back into the room, but not laying on the bed or falling asleep.

"Luce...Luce! Come on. Foods ready."

The voice made her stir and wake. She knew who it was without opening her eyes. Her lazy body made no rush to move.

A whisper in the back of her mind told her that if she laid still enough she could convince him she was in a coma, and that waking her was a fruitless endeavor.

"Com'mon Luccee!" Warm hands clamped down on her shoulders and started to shake her.

She shifted in place and rocked the hands away. She rolled onto her side and begged her mind to cling to sleep. When she moved her stomach whined at her and gradually the emptiness set in. She groaned against the bed wishing the whole world could be as warm as her bed, as soft as her pillows, and as inviting as sleep. Continuing her nap didn't seem to be an option, so she relented and allowed food to become her second best option.

She rolled over and stretched her legs before lifting her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and it took fluttering lids to clean away the fog. When the room came into focus the old green bedspread made her jolt and mind snap awake. The inn...that's right. That's why she was so hungry and tired. The ache in her stomach wasn't the only one starting to sink into her body. Her shoulders felt tight and her legs were impossibly heavy even before she made any real attempt to move them.

She forced her arm to press into the mattress and heaved her iron body into something of a sitting position. She brought her hands to her eyes. Her eyes closed again.

There was an ache setting into her eyes that would be dulled when she closed them. She brought her palm up to rub away at the dull feeling, hoping to clear it away.

"Come on. Up." She thought to herself. "Go eat then I'll come back and get some much-needed rest."

"Hey, Luce! You're never gonna believe this! Guess who I ran into today! Freed, and the Thunder Legion are down stairs!" He cheered it out and smiled wide at the announcement. "I asked Bickslow if he wanted to fight, but he was pretty tired when I saw him. I bet I could take all three on at once!"

He let out a loud, cackling laugh, but Lucy was numb to it.

Right. They were at the inn as well.

Lucy tried to imagine wanting to fight Bickslow. What that madness would really FEEL like. She could hear the droning yell and unnatural crackle of his magic closing in if she thought back hard enough. The neon green that was so bright to look at that it stung her eyes. The way it burned the air around it. The heat it created. Not exactly electric, but nothing like fire. His smile. The one that seemed tighter back then, like the corners of his lips were drawn back by thin strings. It was too stretched to be friendly. She had thought she had grown past her discomfort, the fear. Laxus' barking voice was somewhere bringing it all back to life inside of her.

She stood up and swallowed down her feelings. No need to worry Natsu. He wouldn't understand. With all of the sounds spinning in her head, another one mixed in.

"Aww come on Luce! Laxus would never REALLY attack the guild! And those guys are so tough! Man, I gotta get Bickslow to spar with me!" Natsu's voice was there.

He couldn't understand how she felt. She couldn't expect him to. Her first introduction to them had been in darkness. The first time she heard their voices it had been through a thick sheet of stone.

"Yeah. I ran into Freed earlier...who would have thought a little light rain would make even their team duck and cover?" She followed him out of the room and down the hall, a tired stumble easing out of her step.

She stretched around to look at the hallway behind her, then snapped back to the front, passing it off as if she were getting the stiffness out of her back.

"Yeah. It's pretty embarrassing to be taken down by some stinkin' rain." Natsu laughed, throwing his hands up, locking them behind his head as he continued to walk.

He was ignoring the fact that he too was stuck here because of the weather.

Lucy looked towards the opening that led to the staircase, and back to Natsu. She took a breath and stiffened up her shoulders.

Natsu had brought up their plans for the next day, how they would need to make up some lost time, boasting about their good work so far. He stopped when he noticed Lucy wasn't listening. She looked upset by something. He frowned and remembered the long day.

"Ah...we could stay two nights if ya need it. We've done a lot of work the past few days. If we have to scratch a few jobs off as incomplete-"

"Oh...No…" She cut in.

He was sweet to worry, and she was surprised he picked up on it.

"I'm just a little tired and worried. I will be better after a night of sleep." She would didn't want to risk spending more than a day dodging Laxus. The sooner they could leave, the sooner Lucy could relax.

Natsu went down the stairs first, Lucy following close behind. She could hear a dull murmur of several people starting to rise, growing louder as they descended.

The lobby area had been cleared out, furniture shoved against the walls to make room for a collection of mismatched tables, all shoved together to make one large, long table. They were all different shapes, and heights, with table clothes thrown on top of them in a somewhat organized manner, all overlapping each other. By the looks of it, the conglomeration could seat about thirty people. Twenty were already in the room, most forming groups and eyeing the chairs, planning where they would sit. A few stragglers were throwing silverware and cups into places quickly, and a very few had already chosen a seat.

One of those few was Freed, already at the end farthest of Lucy. Behind him, a wooden fireplace laid with brick was alive with a warm glow, and a snapping of flames. Evergreen and Bickslow were talking to him from the other side of the tables, looking up every now and again to take notice of the room around them.

Lucy tucked herself behind one of the larger groups to make herself smaller. She was curious about why they were really here. Was it really weather? The gentle rain that had made their group flee? She didn't expect it from them but she had experienced first-hand how miserable traveling in the pitter patter had been.

Freed himself looked more tired than before, but dry now. His hair still looked damp. Lucy suspected this was why he sat near the fire. His clothes were clean, all accept the white fluffy tie around his neck, that looked yellowed and saggy.

"Oh yes! yes! Sit dear, sit!"

She overheard the innkeeper woman say to someone who must have asked.

The keeper laughed and pulled out a chair for them, which sparked everyone's motivation to grab a seat for themselves.

Lucy looked back to the group she had been spying on. She flinched when she thought she caught Bickslow's eye. She scolded herself for being so jumpy. Behind that visor, Bickslow could be looking anywhere.

Ever took the seat directly in front of Freed, and Bix sat to the left of her, adjacent to an empty chair. She noticed this was similar, if not identical to how they sat back at the guild. The only thing missing was Laxus who would sit to the right of Freed.

She shot down into a seat and ducked her head. Laxus. That seat was his and she was sure he would be taking it soon. Something inside of her dropped and any bravery reserved for looking around as the room settled was lost. She balled her hands into fists and started to listen for the sound of big, stomping rubber soled boots. Chairs sputtered against the wood floor as they were tugged out from under the table, and the clamor of people's feet rushing around the room, plates and cups and silverware being gathered and put down.

She told herself she would talk to him. She had to say something. She had to say hello at least. Unless she wanted the rest of her life at the guild to be dictated by the presents of Laxus Dreyar, she would talk to him. Be friendly to him. She felt her gut twisting. Suddenly she wasn't very hungry. Not with such a dangerous task seconds away.

She listened through the noise to the best of her ability. To Lucy it all seemed aimless, the world trying to catch her off guard. She heard the floorboards creaking under all of the weight of the patrons. Only distractions muddying her ability to pick out what she needed to hear. She heard the inn-woman laugh again, and Natsu join with his own loud roar. Natsu wasn't close. She tensed further knowing she had lost her partner's position when she started paying too much attention to the Legion.

"Oh of course. By all means." Freed's voice cut over the sound of murmuring people.

Lucy was more familiar with it than many of the others in the room. It was also deep, and clear, with a unique ring of softness so picking it out of a crowd was not difficult.

She dared to look up at the group. A man was taking the seat to Freed's right. Was...Laxus really not with them? She thought about it and knew it was possible. They could take missions on their own, and Laxus was known to take solos. The panic in her heart hushed. She didn't feel completely safe, but her stomach stopped curling into a nervous ball.

Freed looked so tired...Evergreen was still wearing her street clothes, and Bickslow had taken off most of his cape and gauntlets. They were in a state Lucy had never seen for herself. They looked natural, and worn from travel. She tried to picture them on their regular routine after missions. Freed the busy leader, brought down by the weight of his day, reviewing every miscalculation he had made. Bickslow would throw off his heavy equipment ready to kick back, maybe have a drink. Evergreen...she would probably demand a room to herself and refuse to disrobe at all until the men were out and the door was locked. It was all theory, but it matched them.

She was curious about them and longed for a definite answer. Should she be ducking and weaving or was Laxus really and truly not with them?

She stood up and weaved through the remaining groups of guests, offing small apologies when she felt she was in the way. Her attention stayed locked forward and alert.

She had mostly gone under the radar of the three's attention but soon stood at the last chair near them that sat at the head of the table.

"Ah…" She started, and it made them all look up. She scolded herself for starting so weakly. "Could...I" she nodded down at the chair.

Immediately their eyes snapped to gauge the reaction of each other, all sharing an unsure glance. They were silently asking if they were all witnessing this correctly.

Lucy felt the urge to dismiss herself and return to her previous seat. Instead, she threw her hip to the side and planted her butt in the chair.

"Ah…" Again the ah. "I just wanted to...I was curious. I mean it's not like running into other teams like this is common." She tried to sound friendly and casual but it was all too stiff and clunky.

"No. I suppose not." Evergreen added, sounding put off already.

"What are you all doing out here?" She asked more directly in a challenging response.

"We were on a mission. A client had a very important and valuable delivery that had to reach her. We escorted it to her home and we were starting our trip back when the rain began." Freed explained in an open and close manner.

Evergreen exhaled sharply and flicked her wrist down to rest her head on it.

"Horrible weather!" She shook her head in absolute disgust.

"Yeah, but at least we didn't get off as bad as Freed." Bickslow smiled and Lucy could see the tip of his tongue peeking from behind his teeth when he paused. "I never thought you were going to stop sliding! Good thing that tree caught you!" He dropped his head and laughed to himself.

"That's quite enough Bickslow." Freed snapped and crossed his arms over his chest.

The food was starting to be passed around the table on platters and in large bowls, pots, and pans. He had to quickly unfold them to take hold bowl of hand-mashed potatoes from the guest next to him.

He took some before passing it on.

"Slide? You got caught in a mudslide?" She asked, remembering the state she had seen him in before.

Freed looked up and nodded shortly.

"Yes...unfortunately." He admitted before his eyes flicked back down.

Bix lifted his head and scooped a heavy amount of potatoes onto his plate.

"Yeah. You should have been watching out man. It was obvious that ground was about to go." His tone was more serious, but still had a light dance to it.

"If it weren't for Freed taking that fall he wouldn't have let us stop. I can't say I like being delayed by this pathetic drizzle, but I'm glad I'm not out in it anymore. Honestly Freed. You work us too hard." Evergreen scolded with pouting lips.

"Nothing should hinder us from completing a task on time. Not rain or snow." His reply was strong and strict without a second of remorse for his decision.

"Yes, but we don't always have to rush home either. Anyway. Let's not discuss it. I'm tired and I can finally feel my toes. I don't want to start a fight."

Freed nodded again and let out a breath. "I agree. We are here now. That's all that matters..."

Lucy felt like she had been shoved right out of the conversation. Time to jump back in.

"Yeah. I guess Laxus must not be taking it well if he won't even bring himself down to dinner." She swallowed once the words were out, wishing she could take them back.

Heads snapped up at her once she said the name, and they all had the same face, knitted brows and parted lips. Somewhere between confusion and annoyance.

Yep. She wished she could have taken those words back.

"Ah….sorry...was it...something I said?"

Evergreen snapped her head away to avoid glaring and Lucy. Bickslow was lenient and went back to smiling.

"Na it's nothing that serious." He leaned forward and leaned his elbows on the table.

Freed looked at his plate, his brows tighter, arms crossing again. He didn't look angry, but worried instead.

Lucy watched him, keeping that posture up and shifted in place.

She cleared her throat to speak but Freed cut in before she could.

"Laxus hasn't been to the guild in over a month." His voice was strong, but somehow the power behind it didn't hit Lucy.

"O-oh...I guess...I didn't notice." She felt her cheeks heat up.

An entire month? She had been at the guild. How had she not noticed? She realized the weight of what she had asked.

Evergreen and Bickslow didn't know about the night Lucy had dinner, and Laxus was their longtime friend. The fact that she had not even noticed he was gone...something that had them worried for months meant nothing to her. She closed her eyes to recoup.

"I...feel like I shouldn't ask but...where did he go?" She sat forward and leaned her arms on the table, taking some of the food from the plates being passed around blindly. She was hungry but more interested in hearing what the group had to say.

There was a pause.

"He…" Freed started but stopped short, the gears in his eyes rolled and she could tell he was trying to give her a good answer. "We don't know where he went. He…" Freed cleared his throat. She could see his reluctance to answer. ".. didn't speak to us before leaving…" again Freed stopped. For a moment it seemed as if he would continue, but he decided against it, and closed his mouth.

Bickslow sat back from the table, and hooked an arm over the back of his chair. He looked away, behind Lucy, and sighed. Evergreen became fascinated by the food on her plate, poking it around but not eating a bite.

"Laxus...usually leaves the guild though...for long periods of time. Natsu told me that he used to never be at the guild…" she wanted to scream that this was not her fault. She didn't chase off their Thunder God!

"He was always with us," Evergreen added quickly, deflating Lucy's argument.

"But...after the Fantasia parade-" She started to defend herself.

"Laxus told us he was leaving. He didn't tell us where but...he said goodbye." Bickslow was the next to knock her down.

She felt her shoulders tightening and couldn't bring herself to look up at them.

"Indeed. This is the first time he's left without speaking to us about it first." Freed confirmed calmly.

Lucy felt her heart sink down to the floor. She wanted to scream at each of them.

"It's not my fault." She insisted stubbornly. "You can all hate me...but I have not done anything to him!" She insisted, trying to keep her ground. Her voice cracked as she spoke the words, but she forced them out anyway.

They all looked at her. She didn't look up, but she could feel their cursed eyes.

"Oh heavens no. That's not what we were saying Lucy." Evergreen called, sounding genuinely shocked.

"Of course not. We know this is the boss being an ass! " Bickslow agreed behind her.

She looked up at them, unsure if this was a joke or test.

"No one blames you." Freed agreed. "We do suspect that the bad blood between Laxus and you are what sparked his desire to leave, but it's not you that's made us upset."

Lucy looked to him and silently asked him to continue. She wanted some sort of explanation or validation.

The same deep thinking grind came back into his eyes as he tried to come up with the perfect words to give her.

"Laxus is...well in simplest terms,he's awful at expressing how he feels at times. He has a hard time talking with someone he's not familiar with. I believe he left because he felt badly about what he said to you, and how he said it." Freed stopped. His eyes seemed to be avoiding Lucy. " I imagine he felt guilty and decided to get some space. Not entirely a bad idea...but...the worry comes in when we consider he didn't speak to us."

When Freed stopped speaking Lucy became more aware of the clatter of conversation surrounding her. It was easy to become sucked into what he was saying. She shifted in her seat and told herself to be more aware of herself when he started to speak again.

"He didn't want to give us a chance to talk him out of it, or follow him. He didn't trust us to believe in his judgment and NOT follow him. He just took his things and hit the road!" It was Evergreen who had piped up.

Freed nodded.

" The last time he left Fairy Tail it was to get some space...some perspective of the world. He wanted to travel and slow down. He needed space away from the guild. I truly believe that..." He stopped short again, refusing to say all that he wanted.

"It's not like the boss to disappear without letting us know. We've always had his back!" Bickslow interjected, his fist tightening as he spoke.

"Didn't he think about us at all?" Evergreen looked up to him, a finger sneaking under her glasses to rub the lash line. "How worried we would be?"

Bickslow shrugged.

"Dunno baby…" He answered her simply, raising a hand to pat her back.

Freed had a far off look in his dejected eyes.

"I don't believe Laxus will be coming back. Not for a long time anyway...I can imagine he is considering officially leaving Fairy Tail."

Both of his teammates snapped their heads up.

"Ah come on man! Don't talk like that! Laxus isn't THAT dramatic!" The corner of his mouth upturned in a half smirk.

"Sure it's insulting that he left without any reason or word, but he wouldn't go that far, Freed." Evergreen corrected. Worry was leaking into her face. "You...don't really think that...not truly?"

Freed straightened up, and stiffened his posture.

"I do. Take a moment to think back to Laxus' reaction the numerous times he came back to the guild before Gildarts reinstated him. He said he had done too much to be allowed back. He was surprised, and he had told us he thought about talking to the master and declining the offer." His eyes flicked over both of them. "You two know as well as I how unsure of his position he was. He didn't feel like he had repented for his actions...and…" His eyes dropped to the table again, unable to meet theirs, and all too aware of Lucy at the end of the table. "I believe his feud with Lucy convinced him of his former convictions. If he left, without telling us, without any word at all…" His composure was cracking. "He...is ashamed of himself. So much so he can't face to even us anymore." He closed his eyes, brows furrowing.

No one spoke. The noise of the people around them rose to the foreground.

She nodded and let everything he said soak in. She wished she couldn't feel the weight of their sadness on her shoulders. It didn't matter to Lucy if they didn't blame her for Laxus' leaving. She felt it. She knew it was because of her. It was also because of him, his attitude, his insecurities. She had tried to be the mature one and talk about things…

She sat back in her chair and looked past her plate.

She had confronted him expecting none of this to matter to him. The Laxus she had in her mind was upset because how dare a lowly mage like Lucy insist she have any relation to Laxus Dreyar? But...if Freed was right...well if he was correct and Laxus left because he FELT bad then he must be capable of FEELING in the first place.

What was he feeling? How would she feel...how did she feel about her mother's alleged past? Had her mother possibly loved another man? Or more shocking to Lucy, was with a man in a loveless union?

She felt a tug in her heart and knew she wanted to reject the possible reality. Betrayal. Her mother had never seen fit to tell her she had a brother, or anything of Ivan. Nothing of the life she led before Lucy was born. She felt _betrayed_ by those possible truths and wanted to erase them.

What truth was Laxus facing? A truth where his mother, though alive, was not with him. He had no place to turn for answers. In that position Lucy would want to look for answers herself, find them, and understand the story...Maybe Laxus had just not wanted to think about it? Maybe he wanted to ignore that truth altogether?

Lucy had forced him to face it.

"The last we heard he was in Kingswood. That was a few days ago." Evergreen spoke, cutting Lucy out of her thoughts.

When she looked up she met concerned eyes behind thin frames. The fairy mage had tried to offer some kind of comfort to her. At least he wasn't off the radar. She knew it must have been something that comforted them all.

She nodded blankly.

"I guess trying to catch up to him is a lost cause." Any inflection in Lucy's voice was non-existent .

Evergreen furrowed her brows and Bickslow frowned.

"What good would that do?" He asked her and leaned back in his chair.

Lucy looked up, some life coming back into her eyes.

"Hua?"

"Going after him. What purpose would that serve?" Evergreen asked her, equally confused by Lucy's nature as she was theirs.

"Well…" she tried to think of the exact reason. "He just packed up. He left you all. You all seem worried, hurt…" The blank expressions they gave her were not reassuring. "Wh-...how do you expect him to know this bothered you if you never tell him? If it were me I would track him down just to tell him how….how frustrating that is!"

"I doubt Laxus stopped to think of what would be sensitive or not." Freed spit the sentence and for once Lucy felt he was saying something against Laxus.

"I'll admit it, chasing him down just to talk to him sounds like more trouble than its worth, but it sounds a lot better than sitting around and worrying about him." he suggested to them.

It was clear she hadn't won the crowd. None of them looked completely sold on the idea, or the good it would do any of them.

"You want him back at the guild, don't you? If Freed is right he's out there kicking himself over nothing." She insisted, planting her palms on the table and stood quickly.

"It wasn't nothing-" It was Lucy's turn to cut Freed off.

"It is! He was upset with me, and I was upset with him. He did say things that hurt me, but not enough to wish he would banish himself from the guild. I want to talk to him, and I want answers from him. Not for him to avoid me even more. If he feels bad he should talk to me." She looked decisive. "If you won't go, then I guess I'm going alone. There's a lot I want to say to him still. When I catch up to him I'll be sure to tell him how you all feel too." She felt a rush of power well up. She was going to really hunt him down! Give him what for!

"How are you going to catch up to him?" Evergreen smashed that dream to bits.

"What?" Lucy felt her pride wash away and sat back down in her chair, already realizing the answer before the fairy mage gave it.

"Well he has a good head start on you. Even if you head out now, we can't know what way he is traveling. You will chase him to Kingswood and then to another town, and another, and another, before you give up and come home when you run out of jewel." it was easy to take as an insult, but Lucy knew it was just Evergreen thinking ahead.

"Well…" Freed chimed in. "That's not entirely true...it's not as if Laxus will be using the train system." He pointed out.

"Why wouldn't he? All of that travel, you think he will do it on foot?" Bickslow asked, but then was hit with the answer. He slammed his hands down on the table making silverware rattle. "OF COURSE HE WILL BE ON FOOT!" He slapped himself in the visor.

A few people looked over at them, gave them a strange look, then went back to their conversations.

"Laxus would not put himself under the stress of motion sickness without significant cause. Usually, he would for the sake of us, not wanting to tire his team, or for sake of the mission and meeting deadlines, but I don't believe he is in any rush to get anywhere. Tracking his movements will still be difficult and we will have to go on what locals say, but we will have speed on our side. That advantage changes the game for us. It makes it more than possible for us to find him." A smile curved Freed's lips, and a spark flared up in his eyes.

"Yeah but...does that mean we should?" Evergreen reminded them.

Freed looked at her firmly.

"Lucy has a point. Before Fantasia, none of us would dream of working against Laxus' decisions. We all made a promise never to become that submissive again. A vow to protect him even when it meant going against him, and right now I believe he may be in a bad place mentally. Besides, if not for Laxus' sake, we should have the decency to help Lucy connect with her brother." He looked them both over and formed his decision in his head. "I don't know about you two, but I can see the toll this is taking on Laxus. He is struggling with coming to terms with this. Ignoring the problem won't make it go away. Laxus needs to become comfortable with Lucy. Even if it's only a mutual agreement to never speak...it has to be something better than this."

The other two looked unsure, and shared a glance. Silently they debated back and forth. Bickslow turned to Lucy. She couldn't be sure with that helmet in the way, but he seemed to be inspecting her.

He smiled.

"You're right man. If nothing else, we can at least tell Laxus to stop being so such a dick. What do we have to lose?"

Lucy returned the smile and grabbed her cup. She held it up.

"To finding Laxus?" She proposed a toast and prayed to Mavis they wouldn't leave her hanging.

Bix nodded and snatched his drink up as well.

"And giving him what for!" He thrust his cup up, and it hit against Lucy's.

Evergreen's followed and the three laughed happily, even as water spilled over their hands.

Lucy looked to Freed who shared a small smile with them. He tilted his glass and nodded his head.

They all took a drink and with that, they were all in agreeance.

Dinner had managed to shift the weight of Lucy's stress. In a way it was refreshing. It was as if talking had caused the weights on her shoulders to redistributed to her legs and lower back. The relief was welcomed, but soon the tension would set in elsewhere. She knew it was on its way so she tried to enjoy the peace she had managed to create for the time being.

A long day, and the new trip tomorrow. Sleep was welcome, and maybe she should have tucked in right after she ate, but as the tables were being collapsed and the furniture pushed back into the front room, she noticed the aged bookshelves against the wall. She had skimmed the spine seeing a combination of new and old tomes, some well-read, others hardly touched. All of them had wear from being moved around, and they weren't organized in any particular order. She knew she should sleep but it was tempting.

A big dusty armchair welcomed her, warmed by the fireplace a few steps away, the same that Freed had sat in front of at dinner. She had started with a book that was falling apart at the spine. It was a collection of short stories, perfect for a quick read, but her mind was to haggard to focus on the characters or the settings. She quickly put it back before she was halfway through the first story.

She had slipped the book back in the place she found it, or close at least, when she noticed a dusty rumpled stack of thin, soft covered books. She noticed the large embellished S one and lifted it. It was a copy of sorcerer weekly, a rather old one too. The cover was the image of a mage she didn't recognize, and the style of the iconic logo looked tired and less embellished as the one today. She smiled and flipped through the pages, seeing old tips for spells on some pages, mostly articles on magical items and wizards of the time. An odd thing to find in a bookshelf like this, but it would be an easy thing to sit down with. She grabbed a stack of two or three and took them over to the chair, curling up and settling into the corner.

She had flipped through two quickly, finding interesting articles now dated, but still full of good information, and a few that were purely comedic now that hindsight had kicked in. Like SE-plug could cause a wizard to lose magical vitality. The things people used to be scared of.

She compared the fashion of a powerful mage then compared to now, and tried to imagine herself in one of the chic styles of the time. She found the end of the magazine and passed it to the table in front of her and started on the next. Two words on the cover caught her eye. "Fairy Tail." Her smile grew and she snuggled down, interest captured.

"Fairy Tail's S-Class trials! Interviews and the 'behind the scenes' details inside!"

The cover had a picture of everyone who hads competed. Her eye was caught by a smiling Cana, and she remembered the trials they went through together. It brought a happy but heavy feeling to her chest. She scanned over the page until she caught a blond head, and a straight scar. She recognized Laxus from the images Mira had shown her. Longer blond hair still just as spiky, a younger face, and a completely different body. He was smaller than Natsu was today, taller but not as fit. He had the headphones he still used today draped around his neck, the cord wrapping around his body and disappearing in a pocket. Of course it had to be an issue about heaviness grew stronger.

What would it have been like to grow up with him? What if she had always lived in Fairy Tail? They would be closer she imagined. Maybe she could have helped him, and talked him away from attacking the guild. What if he had grown up with her in the estate? She would have had a brother to play with. Well...no maybe not. Laxus was older. She couldn't imagine the Laxus on this cover wanting to play with a little girl no matter how secluded they were from the rest of the world. He would have been another person to ignore her...maybe.

She shook the thoughts off and flipped to the inside. She read the first few articles that summed up the trials details, and she found that it's set up was much like the one she had participated in, but the competitors didn't have help during the trials, as Lucy had experienced. The mages in this old trial had been completely alone. There were a few people Lucy didn't recognize in the trials, and a few she had known but had left the guild. She was mostly interested in Cana's trial and flipped to her page immediately. At the top left there was a synopsis of what happened to her.

"Cana Alberona passed the first challenge with ease, finding her magic item faster than the other mages in the trial. This left her with plenty of time to wait in the combat zone for her opponent. There was plenty of speculation as the wizards were tracked around the map, a few coming close to her spot several times but getting diverted by the obstacles set up on the island." Lucy could assume the first trials were some kind of high-risk scavenger hunt, and the mages were told to go to 'safe zones' where they would then fight whoever met them. "She would need more than time to catch her breath as luck would have it. Cana faced the grandson her guild's master, Laxus Dreyar. The fight was short, and some would say too brutal for such young wizards. Cana lined up her tarot cards, and had a chance to cast two, but left herself wide open to a Lightning attack. Laxus was walking towards the exit before the bolt hit her. Some would say it was arrogance, but he would go on to take the title of S-class soon after her defeat. We at Sorcerer weekly chose to believe it was confidence."

A part of her wanted to scoff it off. Arrogant. That's what it was. Cana was a strong wizard that deserved S-class! But...she sighed to herself. Laxus deserved it too. He was strong, and he proved himself to be _stronger_. She couldn't hate him just because it was easier for her. He may be arrogant, but it wasn't unwarranted.

She looked back at the page and glanced over the other information on the page, Cana's age, her magical ability, and a few of the quests she had been on in the past that were impressive. They gave more general backstory on her, that Lucy already knew for the most part.

"Where did you find that dusty old thing?"

Lucy looked up to see Freed approaching her.

"Oh…" she felt a lump grow in her throat. "It was on the shelves. A pretty lucky find." She made herself sound friendly.

Freed nodded and stopped by her side, looking down at the magazine over her shoulder.

"Indeed. Though I suppose that issue is not exactly rare. At the time not many people knew much about the Guild Master's grandson, so this issue was blown up by the publisher. Everyone was impressed when he made S-class. He made it look so easy." She could see the memories flickering in his eyes. There was a warmness she couldn't feel from the pages glowing inside of him.

She thumbed through the pages and found the crowning jewel of the magazine, Laxus' spread, partly for Freed's sake.

She looked over the basic information quickly to keep the conversation alive.

"He was only seventeen? I bet he really rocked the world when he achieved a rank at such a young age."

She heard him chuckle.

"If only. At the time the youngest to become S class was sixteen. He didn't set a new record so I'm afraid he wasn't too impressed...I was of course. At the time Laxus was quiet about his successes, but I thought in private he would crack and boast about his accomplishment." His brows tightened. "But he never did." Freed hummed.

"Really?" she looked up at him.

"He never said a word. He would shrug off the praise. Before long he would grow to dislike it, and turn away from people when they would mention it. Even here. Along with the information of the competition and of the mage's past, these articles were supposed to include interviews from the most prominent contestants. Laxus refused to give one." He pointed to a corner of the page.

There was a paragraph to one side, and a picture under his finger. It was of Laxus, and a shorter haired, brighter eyed Freed. His smile was cleaner and less of the cold smirk he gave today. There was an excitement burning in the younger Freed she wished the older held. It made her laugh, and linger on the image.

"You look like Natsu when he's looking for a fight." She teased him and looked up to see him be caught off guard.

"Uh-..." he flicked his eyes away. "That's absurd.'

She laughed.

"Aww Freed you're so cute." She gushed, more over the picture. "Look at your little ponytail. Your hair was so short!" She held the magazine up to him and tried to force him to aww over himself playfully.

He pulled his head away stiffly, but she could see a smile struggling to stay off of his face.

She heard him laugh again and put the magazine back in her lap.

"Yes, well I guess I was excited. How could I not be?" he paused and shook his head. "Mavis. I was a mess back then." He sighed, his stiff shoulders relaxing. "Try as they might they couldn't get a word out of Laxus, but I had plenty to say. I didn't realize I was talking to a reporter until I picked up the article myself."

Lucy directed her attention to the paragraph next to his photograph.

"We asked fellow guild members what they thought of Laxus' achievement. We found a young mage by the name of Freed Justine, who had this to say about his colleague. "The successes today are not surprising. Not in the least. Once the nominees were announced I knew who would become the S-class wizard. Had this challenge come a year sooner the outcome would still be the same. Before long everyone will know the Fairy Tail's Laxus Dreyar. Just keep looking his way."

She laughed softly as he read over her shoulder like he was remembering the words rather than taking them off of the page.

"It sounds like you." She told him, a fondness in her voice.

She was shocked to find any fondness existed inside of her for the script mage.

"Yes...though I could have made my point with fewer words." He added dryly, a hint of amusement staining his voice. "But yes. I imagine the thought of Laxus shrugging off an accomplishment like this must not match up with your idea of him." He looked to Lucy now and crossed to sit in a chair very near her.

She nodded.

It brought a bitter smile to Freed's face..

"During his S class trials Laxus did everything possible to make his victory look easy. He hid back pain from the battles, the fear and intimidation of the challenges before him. When it was all said and done he refused reporters, declined interviews." His eyes lowered. "He wanted everyone to think it took nothing from him. So he would shut them all down...and eventually, everyone started to believe him. They were impressed but…" He sighed. "Success is at first more impressive when it looks effortless, but in time it starts to become lackluster when looked back upon. So…" his smile faded a bit. "his flippant attitude towards the trials made his extraordinary power expected and...as dull as he framed it to be."

Lucy watched him, his thoughtful eyes standing still, clouded by something.

She folded the magazine and set it on the table next to her. She scooted her feet up and leaned on the arm of the chair nearest him.

"Did you have a point?" She asked, trying to get him back on track.

He looked up and folded his hands in place.

"Oh sorry. Yes, I did." He nodded. "At the time Laxus had...well let's say a very 'eager supporter'-" She could assume he meant himself. The him in the picture. Younger eyes, and shorter hair. "-that he didn't want to disappoint. He had people looking up to him. Of course he would want it all to seem easy. To live up to their expectations as well. As people expected more of him, Laxus began to resent the hole he created for himself, the standard he now had to live up to. Maybe it was a mixture of the pressure he put on himself, the resentment he held, and the support of the growing Thunder Legion, but when you met Laxus he was a very different state than he is now. Boastful. Cocky. Arrogant. He decided to try and embrace the power everyone praised him for, and it...went to his head. Somewhere with the anger and the confusion, it mixed around and made him...lose himself."

He took a moment to pause, so she could wrap her mind around what was said, and so he could gather his thoughts.

"He's in a fragile state to put it simply…" He was dodging what he wanted to say. 'I know you've offered to travel with us to make your point...but please Lucy don't feel like you must. We will still seek out Laxus...but I don't think you should come with us."

She felt her heart sinking. Maybe Freed was being polite and he just didn't want her to go. He didn't want to deal with weak little Lucy on their important mission to kiss Laxus' ass. She swallowed the thought and scolded herself for being so venomous.

"Oh…" Her voice cracked.

"I can't predict how Laxus will react to seeing you. It could be very good...or more likely very bad...and...well I've put you through enough of his abusive temper. He is a good man…and…I don't want you to think even less of him than you do now." She saw the lump in his throat bob.

She sat further in her chair and pulled her legs closer.

"It's okay Freed. I know he's not going to be happy to see me. It's alright. I'm not going on this trip for him. There are still things I want to say. I...want some closure. I want to be on friendly terms...or neutral terms at least."

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, not in the strong way Freed did, but in a meek attempt to comfort herself from the future ahead of her.

"I can't spend my life ducking around the guild hall...thinking he's going to snap my head off. I don't want to live like that."

Freed nodded, and again the sounds of the fire replaced conversation. Freed's eyes had fallen on the magazine, but he was looking past it.

"I won't try to persuade you further…if this is your decision then I am happy to respect it." He looked at her, and she, him.

For an instant, Lucy saw something in him.

Something this situation had been making her feel since the beginning.

Fear.

"I want you to see…the man he is Lucy." He told her, his voice going soft. "He…has such a good heart under it all."

Silence again. Lucy was comfortable with it. They both were. They both turned to face the fire and let the sounds consume the room.

"We should get some rest then." Freed's voice was still soft, but had purpose behind it now.

When Lucy looked up she was met with a calm smile. Freed offered his hand to her.

She eyed it for a moment before she took it. He helped her stand. The inn had gone still and quiet, making the creaking floor boards easier to hear as they walked side by side. Lucy felt like she should take his arm, as if he were a gentleman escorting her home after a nice night together. The thought made her face go hot. Freed was such a proper man, she doubted he would decline if she asked.

Before she could give it real consideration they had already arrived in front of her door. She swallowed and found herself short of breath. She turned to face him and slowed her breathing further so he wouldn't see her gasp to regain it. She felt like she had ascended the stairs too quickly.

He stood with his hands behind his back, shoulders squared. His brows always seemed to be narrowed to some extent, even when he smiled. She was getting used to it. Slowly, his resting faces were becoming more friendly to her.

"Goodnight Lucy. Thank you for speaking with me tonight." he had a warmth in his eyes, a gentle kindness. "I hope you'll be able to sleep well. Don't allow it to trouble you too much tonight, yes?"

She nodded to him, putting her hands behind her back. She fidgeted, wrapping all of her fingers around one on the other hand, giving it a squeeze, moving to the next slowly.

"I think I'll pass out as soon as I hit the bed. No worries there!" she laughed and leaned back, smacking her head against the closed door.

She jolted and threw a hand up to rub out the knock, her face going hot.

Freed pretended not to notice the blunder but she knew he had.

"Indeed. I'm sure it will be the same for me." He agreed with a small nod.

She gave a breathy laugh.

"Yeah, I guess digging your way out of the mud can make ya ready for sleep." She rocked back on her heels and pressed her back against the door.

He nodded and his smile stretched. He exhaled sharply at the thought walking for miles caked in dirt and grime.

"Oh please don't remind me." he laughed with her. "Bickslow only made it worse, cracking up about it." He shook his head. "I doubt he will allow me to live it down."

The mental image made Lucy laugh harder, an angry scowling Freed, strict shoulders slumped forward, and the masked man laughing and taunting him all the way back to the guild.

"What are friends for? Right?"

He nodded, placing his hand on his hip where his sword regularly hung.

"I suppose so." he nodded and took one last look at her for the night. "I'll see you in the morning." he dismissed himself.

She nodded.

"Goodnight Freed." She gripped the handle of the door behind her.

He gave a small bow before turning, walking towards his room.

She watched him go, slowly turning the knob. She wouldn't mind spending more time with Freed.

He was interesting.


	6. Within the Legion

Seven.

Fifteen.

Seven fifteen.

It was seven fifteen.

SHIT!

SEVEN FIFTEEN! She had slept in!

Lucy shot straight up out of bed, eyes wide, and heart thumping so loudly she swore she could hear it with her own ears. For the second she didn't feel her exhaustion from the previous day, only the electric shock of pure adrenaline that lit up her soul like a firecracker. She had slept in and now she was going to be late! She was going to have to stumble down the stairs with unrushed hair and shoes in her hands. She would have to face a cross-armed Freed, silently shaking his head in disappointment. Evergreen would click her tongue and make it obvious to the rest just how LATE she was. There wouldn't be a shortage of mocking laughs with Bickslow and his 'babies' around! No, he would have a chorus of giggles and taunts that would burn shame into her cheeks.

She whined to herself and ripped her heavy bag up off the floor to dig through. She searched through the sack quickly but in the dark room she wasn't getting anything done. The dim light must have been due to the rain. Ugh it must still be raining!

She found her shirt and a bra and tugged them out, turning and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. She was trying to get her head together when she noticed the silver object on her bedside table. A little metal clock, with a yellowed face, and two bells and a hammer on top.

It read 3:21 am.

The panic that had rushed her body now froze in her veins. Her shoulders slumped and she felt heavy with sleep again.

"Three in the morning hua?" her voice wavered.

She took a slow look around the room for anything that could have woken her up.

Natsu was still asleep, and Happy was laying on his stomach snoring away. She was glad she hadn't woken them as well. They would have a late start today, and needed the rest.

She had told Natsu that she was feeling ill, and didn't think she would be able to finish the mission with him. A part of him was. He immediately offered to inform their string of employers that they wouldn't be able to complete their missions, and help her travel home. She had declined quickly, and told him she would travel back with the Thunder Legion seeing as they had completed their mission. He didn't question it and agreed without much convincing. She could have been offended by this, but she knew turning down a large amount of jobs wouldn't make her team, or Fairy Tail look very good. She was grateful that he would complete them, especially now that he was down a member.

She laid in bed and stared up at the muted, yellow ceiling. Her eye followed the edge of a brown ring that collected gradually in the center. It looked to be water damage, though she suspected it was a problem of the past now that it was faded. She took a slow breath in and shifted her shoulders, hearing the sheets rustle under her.

For a moment, she avoided any thought. She laid and enjoyed the silence of the room. She had made so many fast decisions today, and the logical side of her told her that she would regret them all very soon. Even if that was the song repeating in her head she didn't feel like it was true. She would seek acceptance, and if it was unobtainable maybe she would achieve closure. With Freed helping her, maybe closure would be possible. The thought made her feel hollow though. How could a person close their heart on a family member? How could she accept that she would be completely alone in the world? Her mother was gone, and her father was gone. She had no relatives, no lasting bonds.

She turned her head to look at Natsu. He slept with his mouth open, hands sprawled above his head, one knee propped up under the covers. She wondered how he would react if he knew Laxus was her brother by blood. He always treated the entire guild as one big family, so maybe he wouldn't react at all. She watched him breathe, watching his stomach rise and fall in its slow, rhythmic motion. Unease set in her stomach when she thought of them waking up late tomorrow, getting dressed and packed by noon. They would believe that she was heading home for sleep and rest. She reminded herself that telling him would defeat their purpose. They couldn't catch up to a Dragon Slayer if they carried one in their team. She didn't want to put him through possible days of train travel, and doing anything else would risk their ability to make any progress. She felt guilt setting into her stomach and rolled over on her side to face the wall instead.

"Sleep. You'll need all of your energy tomorrow to keep up. Sleep!" She silently chanted to herself, forcing her eyes to close.

She kept her body still, and tried to feign away the thoughts.

The quiet of the room finally caught up to her, and her eyelids stopped fighting her.

She fell asleep and didn't wake up again until the alarm she set was blaring.

She told herself to wake up early, and be ready to go. She assumed travel with the Legion would be strict, and calculated, and she didn't want to assume they would change that operation for her sake.

She struggled again in the tiny bathroom to get dressed without knocking her elbows on the counter, or getting her body tangled in the shower curtain. She slipped her foot into her boot, not thrilled to find that the fabric hadn't completely dried. Damp, but she wouldn't be walking in the mud and the water so she told herself it would be fine. She grabbed her coat, and did another check around the dim room to make sure she had everything packed and accounted for.

Clinking and a mod-podge of task sounds buzzed from the kitchen. Something sizzled on the stove, and glass dishes rubbed together, they were set down and moved, all accompanied by the soft chatter of Bickslow and Freed. They weren't speaking so loudly that she could hear what it was being said, but she could recognize the tones of their voice. She crept up to the kitchen door seeing that it was open. She eased it forward, not hiding behind the wood, but not announcing herself either.

"Bickslow, please!" Freed's voice was stern as he shoved the man's shoulder back.

Both men were in the middle of the room, Bickslow leaning over the smaller man, laughing lightly.

"Come on baby, just try it." he coaxed and pushed something at his face.

Lucy heard a wet hiss and Freed shoved back on his friend more firmly.

"Bickslow! You're getting whipped cream in the eggs. Please be serious!"

Lucy stretched her neck as Bickslow backed away.

He threw his head back, and extended his tattooed tongue.

"You're such a kill joy man." The seith mage mumbled around his tongue, lifting a red and blue can up to his mouth.

He pressed down on the narrow nozzle allowing a fluffy spray of fluffy, white cream to pile up on his tongue.

Freed turned to give him a disapproving look, spatula raised up as a warning to him.

"Bickslow you are wasting that whipped cream and…"

A glimmer of yellow caught his eye. He noticed Lucy in the doorway. He lowered his deadly egg flipping

weapon and smiled in a friendly way.

"Good morning Lucy." He addressed her as politely as the spirit mage would expect from him.

Bickslow turned, hands and can on his hips. His lips stretched and twisted into a grin.

"Hey! Lu~cy! What's up cosplayer?"

She felt herself tense. She stepped forward to look a little less nosey.

"Morning guys." She managed to make herself sound more relaxed than she felt.

Today was so exciting, she would start her first 'mission' with an elite team of Fairy Tail's finest.

Okay maybe it wasn't a mission, but it would still be a learning experience! And she planned to make the most of every moment with them. Each member in the legion were so different from each other, she wondered how they managed to work as a team, and hoped she could scratch up some good tips that would help her with her own team members.

The men went back to their work, Freed scrambling eggs on the stove, and Bickslow was taking what had been cooked and transferring it into heated holding trays. The kitchen wasn't a mess, but it was cluttered. The counter to the right was stacked high with cups, plates, and bowls. The left side held the pots and pans they used to cook with, measuring cups, dirty spoons, bowls with white oozy mix dripping down the sides.

She shifted and with the two working she felt like she needed to move too. She pushed off the counter and stepped forward.

"Umm, Freed. What are you guys doing?" She asked curiously, stopping by his side.

He glanced up at her and scooped the eggs onto a clean plate.

When he brought them up a fresh plume of morning egg smell was born. She felt the heat of them rush up over her cheeks and warm her nose.

"Wow." She could hardly stop her stomach from growling. "That smells amazing!"

"Tastes better." Bickslow butt-in from behind her.

Freed brightened up at the complements. He scooped a cluster of the yellow eggs and hovered his free hand under the spoon.

"He's not wrong. Here." he lifted the spoon to Lucy's lips.

Her brown eyes met his. She felt her heart skip and her cheeks heating up.

"Careful, it's still hot." He warned her.

Her mind wasn't on eggs any longer. She was captured by blue-green eyes, and a dark black beauty mark. Her eyes were taking in smooth cheeks and a strong jaw, curved thin lips and a pronounced cupid's bow. Had Freed always been so handsome?

She swallowed and locked her hands behind her back. She felt too stiff but loosening up made her feel sloppy in front of him.

"Ah…" she wasn't sure what she was going to say.

What else could she do besides take the offered bite to shut her now gaping mouth? She took a bite and told herself to get a grip. Not too salty, or soggy, the warm egg danced over her taste buds, and there was a touch of spice she couldn't place that made the flavor come alive.

"That's delicious Freed." She bounced with the exclamation.

He chuckled clearly proud and turned back to the stove.

"I'm glad you think so."

His calm tones made Lucy feel like she was the one receiving a compliment. She smiled to herself and watched him crack two new eggs into the pan. They started to sizzle and bubble. She watched his hands work together, one holding the pan still, the other chopping with the spatulas end. His movements were precise, telling her just how many times he had prepared food like this in the past. Her eyes ran up from his firm hand over his wrist, his arm, his shoulder. Her hip hit the counter and she tilted her head. His hair was long, straight, sleek, and contrasted so well with the burgundy coat he wore, though now she couldn't see much of it due to the crisp white apron he wore. His long bangs brushed his cheeks, and his eyes stayed fixed on his work until he realized she was staring.

He looked up and blinked at her. His eyes widened and brows raised.

"Do I still have whipped cream on my face!?" He reached up to cover his nose and mouth quickly.

She shot back up to stand and shook her head.

"Ah! No! You look fine! I was just...sorry I just spaced out a little. That's all!" She rushed to assure him. "I-I- Wh-at are you guys doing in here?" Change the subject. That should work. "I understand you're cooking but...why?"

She relaxed when his attention went back his work.

"Just doing what we can to help out. The Innkeeper said she could use a hand, so I offered to make breakfast before we left."

"Yeah, we don't always have time to help out little ol' ladies like this all the time. It's nice to take it slow." Bickslow agreed with him as he lit the fire to a new tray. "Were good on mini pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Think we should cut up some fruit too?" Bickslow turned to face his friend.

Freed hummed it over then nodded.

"It can't hurt. There were so many guests last night, I'm sure it will all be eaten." He nodded.

"You're both so helpful. But I'm still confused. Aren't we in a hurry to catch up with Laxus?" She asked, turning so she could see them both.

"Nah, Laxus won't wake up until at LEAST noon." Bickslow shrugged it off.

"And by using the train system there's no doubt we will be able to catch up with him. There's no need to set out early and exhaust ourselves. We should use the time to relax and save our strength." Freed scooped the last batch of eggs from the pan. "You especially Lucy. This challenge won't be physically tasking, but it will mentally exhaust you. I won't lie to you. Laxus can be difficult. Talking to him about personal matters can feel more like pulling teeth than anything else. Painful, long winded. More stressful than it has to be." He set the pan back off the burner and turned to face her." "I don't intend to scare you. But you should be considering everything you want to say to him, and attempt to collect it into reasonable, and polite conversation. As polite as possible. I know you must have some choice words for him…"

Lucy's brows tightened and she glanced away.

"What? Me? No way. I know that he was a jerk before...but...I really want to get to an even ground. I want to be…. well polite." She felt the guilt of telling a lie, but didn't know where the untruthful statement was.

That is what she wanted. But maybe she did have just a few juicy insults to throw back at him.

"Hmm...Well...I would. The way he has treated you is not acceptable. He knows that. We all do. It's just…" His tone had taken on a sharpness but it was aimed at himself.

He crossed his arms as he tried to think of the correct words.

"He can act more like a cornered animal when someone presses strong conversation. He doesn't know how to react with anything less than unreasonable amounts of violence, and defiance. I want to say it's not his fault...but…" He sighed and shook his head. "That's just my own defense. It's my hope that I can keep alive whatever desire you have to see him. I don't want you to only know the cruel side of Laxus…." He stepped away from her finally, to the center island, picking up a small knife.

He took an orange in hand and started to peel it. "Before you confronted him I had thought he put this behavior behind him. I hope you will be able to see who he is, deep down. The man I know. Selfishly maybe, I hope you will see more than what he's shown you."

Lucy followed him and picked up a similar knife to his.

"Mind if I help?" she asked, picking up an apple.

He looked her over, then nodded. It was his turn to watch her.

She turned the apple in her hand, the blade slicing off a consistent coil of the outside skin slowly as she made her way around the fruit.

"It's hard for me to see him any other way. He was the man who terrorized Fairy Tail, who terrorizes me now…"

She could see Freed's heart sink as he went on with his peeling.

"But, I know a smart man like yourself wouldn't follow him blindly, not now anyway. If you have this much faith in Laxus, maybe I can...take a chance. I know he's not going to be happy to see me. Talking to him hasn't gone so well in the past, but I have to try."

She looked up and their eyes met. They shared a moment of stillness and silence.

"He...might be the last family I have. Last by blood anyway." She went back to her apple, but Freed didn't rush to do the same. "I want to know him. I don't think avoiding him is the answer. It's frightening, but so was leaving my home to join Fairy Tail. Maybe...frightening in a different way…" She could see Laxus' snarling teeth and heavy brows perfectly in her mind. It sent a chill down her back and she felt her heart quiver.

"It's brave of you Lucy."

She looked up again, this time to meet a much softer Freed. He had carried on his work, but he still had her in his sight.

"To dedicate yourself to what you fear. To speak about it. Laxus was a different man when I first met him. If he treated me the way he has you, I don't believe we would speak today. If he were brave enough to speak as you are now, maybe things could be different."

"Yeah blondie! You're more dedicated to Laxus than Freed is!" She felt Bickslow's heavy arm drape around her, and shot her head up to see him, smirking down at her. "I didn't even know that was possible!" He cackled.

Freed gave stiff laugh and shook his head.

"Don't you have some bacon to sort?" He reminded, hands going to his hips, the sharpness coming back to his form.

Bickslow pulled his arm back.

"Nah. All done. See." The arm waved backwards towards the counter, gesturing to the trays of food.

They were all neatly arranged and steaming.

Freed quirked his lips to the side, dissatisfied that he had nothing to scold.

"We are almost done then. Let's help Lucy finish up the fruit, and with any luck Evergreen will be prepared to go once we are finished."

"Oh yeah. Evergreen. Where is she?" Lucy asked as the men grabbed knives and started to peel.

She went back to her work as well.

"She's upstairs getting ready. She helped clean the dishes up last night, so she wouldn't feel obligated to assist us this morning." Freed explained, his hands working quickly to carve a cantaloupe.

"Oh why's that?" Lucy asked, trying to keep up with his speed.

"She takes her time to get pretty in the morning." Bickslow was the one to answer, hands diligently separating clusters of grapes from their vines.

Lucy nodded, and focused most of her attention forward, spinning the apple in her hands. She took her time in the mornings hm? Lucy wasn't largely into makeup. She wore it on special occasions, but didn't wear more than foundation and mascara on a regular day. Evergreen always, from what Lucy could tell, sported a full face. She looked lovely, Lucy just wondered how she managed not to sweat it all off.

"Ouch!" Lucy jumped when Freed snapped his hand back from his cutting board.

It didn't take her long to spot the dripping red on his ivory skin.

"Are you alright? Is it deep?" She set her knife down and reached out for his hand.

"It's fine. I just misplaced my hand." he inspected the cut, just across the middle segment of is index finger.

"It's not deep. I'll have Evergreen clean it for me." He stepped away, headed straight for the door.

Lucy turned and wanted to call after him. It really looked like a scratch, hardly a papercut. She was sure running it under the water would be more than enough to clean it off. It would stop bleeding before he got upstairs. He was gone too quickly though. Oh well. It couldn't hurt to disinfect it.

The remaining spirit mages went back to work without much conversation. She was surprised to see that without Freed to pester, Bickslow focused in on his work. He didn't goof off or make the job impossible for her to do. She had never seen him in a serious work mode. It was refreshing to see he had more than just the prankster inside.

Evergreen and Freed came down as they were finishing up. The group had breakfast at the now empty accumulation of tables at their leisure. Before leaving Freed thanked the Innkeeper for taking them in. She pinched his cheeks and praised him for being such a 'good boy'. She offered them a fresh baked loaf of bread for their hard work, and Freed accepted it. Without another delay the three set out.

Lucy wasn't thrilled to see that the ground hadn't dried. The air was still heavy with moisture and clouds still loomed over her head. She groaned to herself and watched the gray slates drift slowly on the breeze.

"Do you know when our Train will be leaving?" She asked Evergreen, not standing far away.

"I would hope not long from now." her tone was snappish, making Lucy wonder if she had set her off. "The sooner we can leave this damp wasteland the better." She flicked her fan open and snapped her wrist to create a small breeze on her face. "The air is so thick. How do these people live? I can feel the frizz trying to get to my hair."

She snapped her head over to Lucy, and looked her up and down. She pouted her lips and narrowed her eyes.

"Where's Natsu?" She questioned boldly, and flicked her fan shut.

"Hua? Oh. I asked him to continue our missions for us. I told him we would all be traveling back to Magnolia. I thought having a Dragon Slayer coming with us...well...none of us really know when we will find Laxus. I don't want to shove him onto a train for days on end. He wouldn't hold up well."

Evergreen tilted her head, then nodded.

"I wouldn't have even considered it. The only upset stomach I have to deal with is Laxus'." She rolled her eyes on his name.

Lucy furrowed her brows, then smiled and scoffed.

"I guess it's not really on the front of my mind either. Laxus and Natsu are so similar in their magic. I know this entire plan hinges on him not using any transportation, but I can't picture Laxus getting all pukey like Natsu." She smiled wider. "I bet that must be fun to travel with." She shook her head and faced forward looking at the slick black tracks in front of them.

"You have no clue." Evergreen stretched her words and cocked a hip to the side. "Though, in ways he's not AS bad as Natsu. Laxus doesn't really react the exact same way of course. He really tries to hide it." she shook her head, and Lucy looked back to see a fond smile on her face.

"He tightens up, and throws his feet on the seat in front of him. Usually taking up a good deal of Freed's space. He gets those big burly muscles and hugs them as close to his stomach as he can." Evergreen tucked each of her own slender arms around her stomach and hiked her shoulders to demonstrate. "He snuggles down into that coat of his and closes his eyes. He listens to music until the train stops." She relaxed her arms and flipped her hair back.

"Oh don't forget Ever." Hearing Freed made both women turn around. "If you try to speak to him the only thing he will respond with is 'shut up'." He narrowed his brows and pouted, deepening his voice to sound more like a knock-off of the dragon man.

He held his hand out to them, offering them both a ticket.

"Shouldn't be long now. It's a night train, so I hope you will both be comfortable sharing a cart together."

"It shouldn't be a problem for me." Lucy admitted, looking to Evergreen for her thoughts.

"No I don't mind. Nothing is going to make this trip comfortable." She grumbled to herself.

"Ever-" Freed started.

"Oh yes! I know. It's the fastest way. We will cover the most ground this way. We will sleep through most of the journey! That doesn't make fold out dirty train beds any more appealing."

Freed sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I know, it's not comfortable. I'll make it up to you somehow. Please be patient with me." He bowed his head for just a moment.

Evergreen gave him the side eye and crossed her arms. By her reaction, Freed seemed to be teasing her just a bit, maybe an inside joke of theirs.

"Oh you'll pay for it mister! Just you wait!" She laughed. "With a three hour Ever-Freed shopping spree! You can carry all of my bags for me!" She giggled and swayed dreamily.

Freed grimaced and let his head lull back.

"Merciful Mavis who protects the Fairies, please, tell me what it is I have done to deserve this? Was there a task unmet? A goal forgotten?"

It only made Evergreen laugh harder. She launched forward and hugged Freed around his neck.

"OH you! It won't be THAT bad! Do you really hate shopping with me THAT much!?"

Freed smiled and laughed softly letting her hug him. He glanced up, a look of realization on his face when he saw Lucy. It seemed he forgot she was there watching them. He gave her a bashful smile and pulled away, stiffening his posture.

"That's quite enough Evergreen."

Lucy didn't see a blush on his face, but maybe a dignified man like Freed was above blushing? Still, she felt a light heat burn at her cheeks.

The wait wasn't long, but before the train was scheduled to arrive the platform began to grow crowded. More and more people took up benches and standing space. Many were in casual clothes, others with night bags filled with blankets and pillows. The more the space filled up, the more Freed started to fidget. Lucy could see him scan over the crowd, look at his ticket, fold his arms and relax. He repeated the same action several times in thirty minutes, until finally whatever question brewing in his mind needed an answer.

"Evergreen let me see your ticket." He ordered as he rushed forward.

He was a bit too late. The crowd perked up at the whistle of a train, and the rails started to shake. Everyone started to stand and collect their things.

Freed took to her side and took her ticket and tried to compare it to his own.

The train pulled up, chugged to a halt, and everyone started to push forward as the doors opened.

Lucy grabbed up her things and somehow found herself leading the group. The crowd yammered and Freed kept his head down, eyes flicking from one ticket to the other. Lucy stumbled forward, unsure of where to go. She swallowed and hoped Evergreen, who was directly behind her, would correct her if she made a mistake. Lucy marched forward and onto the train only to be stopped by a wall of people. They started to inch forward and she followed. She felt someone slam into her back, making her ram into the man in front of her.

"Bickslow!" Evergreen snapped and Lucy heard a smack and a laugh.

Lucy looked up and shook her head, but couldn't help but laugh a little at their bickering.

"What numbers am I looking for Freed?" She called back behind her blindly.

They shuffled forward and she didn't hear an answer. She twisted around as he opened his mouth.

"26 and 27 A. 28 and 29 B." he answered her.

She nodded and started to walk with more purpose. She glanced at the placards on the wall and the numbers crept upward. She quickened her pace as the groups started to thin out and find their places on the train.

"This can't be right." She heard Freed murmuring to himself.

Lucy stopped.

"This is us." She took a few steps further so Freed could verify the numbers for himself.

He looked at the ticket and the plaque.

"Oh no. Absolutely not. Honestly who thought this was the most concise way to label their cars?" He was glaring at the paper, looking back and forth for an authority figure.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, and inspected the door. She stepped forward and opened the door, letting it slide into the wall.

To the left and right were identical bench seats facing each other, a heater built into the wall to the back, and a window above it. Overhead were two shelves with thin mattresses, blankets and pillows dressing them. It looked clean, organized, so she didn't follow.

Freed stepped backwards and crossed his arms tight over his chest, still searching for someone in charge.

"Come on Freed, it's not the end of the world." Bickslow sighed and leaned against the wall near him.

"No. It's absolutely unacceptable. There is no way we will allow this. I'll speak to someone and request another room." His voice was firm, and unwavering.

"Another room? Freed, have you looked around? This place is packed!" Evergreen grabbed onto his arm. "Now get out of the way and stop making a scene!"

She jerked him back and the two stumbled into the room. Freed reacted to passing the threshold like a cat falling into a bath. His shoulders tightened up and the bolts on his head stuck straight up.

"It would be unspeakably inappropriate for two grown men to share a close quarter sleeping space with-"  
"FREED! Stop being such a fuddy-duddy! There aren't going to be anymore rooms! We are just going to have to make this work.!" Evergreen insisted.

This only seemed to make Freed more upset.

"There is hardly enough space for you and me to stand in here without knocking each other over!" He pointed out and twisted around to see how much space they had. If all four tried to stand in the floor space at once, they would be packed like sardines.

Bickslow leaned against the door frame to let people pass. Lucy tucked close to the other side to do the same.

"Come on man, who wouldn't want some up close and personal time with these ladies! It's not that bad!"

Freed's head shot up and he glared.

"That's not the point! If we were to-"

"Oh look! He's about to start stamping his feet! I love your tantrums buddy!" Bickslow was cutting him off intentionally now.

It made Lucy worry. Out of the three, the last one she wanted to see angry was Freed.

Freed's glare was only growing tighter.

"Maybe if it were just Evergreen, you and I, then I could allow it, but we have to think of more than just our personal comforts! Making Lucy sleep in the same room with two men she is unfamiliar with is more than just uncourteous!"

Lucy jumped at the sound of her name.

"Me? Oh no really don't worry about it!" She insisted and stepped up to be in the door frame. "I mean sure it won't be ideal! But I'm kinda used to it. Natsu still sneaks into my house every now and again!" She shot off, but instantly regretted it when she saw the rune mage's eyes widen.

What lady allowed a stranger into her house like that? She had a feeling he would faint here and now if he knew Natsu crawled right into her bed and snuggled up to her every night.

Bickslow through his hand out to gesture to her.

"Yeah see! She's totally used to sleeping with strange guys!" she could tell he was trying to keep the snicker out of his voice.

Her face went red and mouth gaped. She wanted to hit him, but she relaxed when she saw Freed wasn't so amused by the comment.

"I am sure when we tell the staff who we are they will be happy to prepare more comfortable arrangements!"

Evergreen threw her eyes up.

"Yes Freed. Pull the 'don't you know we are famous' card. That's real classy." she insisted flatly and shook her head. "You're are so adjustable until it's something you find uncomfortable. You have to realize this is not comfortable for anyone! If we ask for another room the odds are we will be forcing a group of strangers to share a room together. At least we all know each other! Get over it."

Freed's shoulders stiffened and they could all see him formulating his retort.

"It's...just not...proper Evergreen..." He insisted.

"I know, but we don't have another choice. You're going to have to let it go this time." She wasn't backing down, even if Freed was technically the leader.

The green haired mage took a breath and forced his stiff shoulders down.

"You're right. I know you're right." he admitted clearly, but without any joy. "But!" His shoulders snapped right back up. "The men will sleep on one side and the women on the other. And I won't hear any complaining about it."

Bickslow snorted and leaned against the wall.

"Why not all the girls sleep on top and we take the bottom bunks?" He lifted his visor to wiggle his eyebrows at Freed. "I prefer a girl on top anyway."

Freed gave him a dry look.

"You're sleeping with a blind-fold on." He ordered.

Bickslow threw his head back and laughed.

"Didn't take you for the kinky type! You got a blind fold in your bag there Freed-oh? Because I don't see ya finding one otherwise!"

Freed didn't miss a beat. He grabbed the end of his scarf and whipped it off in one smooth motion. He held the fabric out to him.

Bickslow's laugh faltered and stopped. Then came back to live louder and harder than before.

He snapped the scarf out of his hands and rolled his back against the wall to look away from them.

"You're hilarious Freed!" He wheezed.

Freed didn't so much as smile. This situation was not something funny to him. His annoyance was sinking away but it was clear he was still bothered.

They were having trouble not bumping into each other as the train jerked. Bickslow wasn't even in the room yet. It would be a tight squeeze. Freed took a seat on the nearest booth. He crossed his arms and Evergreen sat next to him to make more room. Lucy followed, as did Bickslow on the other side once he calmed down.

"There is a dining cart not far from our own. I'm sure it will be crowded, but that's where lunch and dinner will be served." he sat back and closed his eyes. "Sometimes I forget how unpleasant public transportation can be."

Lucy tried to brighten the mood with a smile.

"Well, at least we aren't trudging around in the mud anymore. No more avalanches for us!" She had a cheer in her voice.

At first Freed was not moved, but a smile did eventually crack.

"Yes. We will all remain dry and clean tonight." He glanced out of the window leading Lucy to do the same.

The world flashed by in a mix of brown, gray, and mushy green flashes. She couldn't wait to be out of the soggy town.

"How long do you think it will take us to catch up to Laxus?" She asked, without taking her eyes away.

"Not long at all, due to this uncomfortable situation. A continuous trip all night will take us most of the way…I know we will be traveling through Ithica once we stop." His eyes slid over to Evergreen.

She lit up and turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Ithica!? Oh Freed you must go with me!" She grabbed his arm and started to tug him. "You drug me onto this nasty train, you must go with me! Please?" She may have forgotten she was the one who talked him into staying.

"What's in Ithica?" Lucy asked, feeling out of the loop. Mavis knew they had time to talk on the trip.

"It has the cutest shopping district Lucy! Wonderful stores, all priced well too. Oh it's so far from Magnolia but if we are passing it I simply HAVE to go!" She turned again. "Please Freed? Pretty please?"

"Uh...maybe I'm stupid, but why don't you go with Lucy?" Bickslow asked, leaning back in his chair, pulling the tight fabric he wore over his head off. "She's, ya know, a chick?"

Evergreen stilled and glanced away, a pout on her lips.

"Lucy won't want to go with me…" She looked at her hands which fidgeted in her lap before daring to peek up at her.

Lucy didn't expect her to act so meek and shy.

"Actually...I would love to go. It's been a while since I've shopped for new clothes. And I could use the time to destress before meeting Laxus. We could have a girl's day!" She encouraged and sat forward on her seat. "Do you want to?"

Evergreen looked unsure, almost shocked by her reaction. She stared at Lucy, before nodding just an inch.

"Ah...I would like that very much. Yes." She answered formally.

"Then it's decided. Bickslow and I will narrow down on Laxus' exact position while you girls enjoy a few hours in Ithica."

"Pwha-tah-Hua?" Bickslow gasped out and sat forward, laying his elbows on his spread knees. "We gotta work while they play?" he threw his head back and hit the back of the seat again.

Freed laughed and covered his mouth with a slender hand.

"Bickslow, please." He hummed. "Let Evergreen have her day."

He grumbled something, but no one actively worked to hear it.

Evergreen looked up at Lucy, and she noticed the eyes on her. She looked back and offered her a smile. She got one back, though it seemed unsure, like it would fade away in a moment's notice. Lucy turned back to the window, and leaned on the wall, wanting to watch the mud and the sludge disappear behind her.

Hours passed on the train and quickly Freed and Evergreen became restless. They both stowed night bags, took walks up and down the hall, watched the window trying to stimulate their minds. Freed held up better than Evergreen did. She couldn't stop fidgeting, touching this or that, rolling something in her hand, tapping her foot. Finally, it got to her and she decided to invite the group to go to the dining cart with her. Freed accepted but Bickslow opted to stay where he was. Once the two left he moved to sit across from Lucy, and she was sure it was for her comfort rather than him having any issue with her.

She kicked her shoes off and picked her feet up, curling them into the seat. The scenery was changing outside, and the temperature was rising. The room was getting warmer and the sun was shining down now through white clouds.

She took a breath in and moved her leaning arm off the heater box realizing it was stiff. It felt good to stretch the muscles again and sit up right. She moved her arm forward and wiggled her hips. She expected Bickslow to jump up and make some pervy comment, but he didn't say anything, or look up from his nails that he was inspecting.

"Bickslow." She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

He looked up at her and his relaxed frowning mouth perked up into a smile.

"Yeah baby?" He asked and dropped his hands to listen properly.

She didn't mind the title. He seemed to use it on everyone.

"I was wondering where your 'babies' are. Your little tiki guys. I haven't seen them since meeting you guys."

Bickslow's eyes raised but he relaxed quickly.

"Oh, you're worried about em hua?" His smile widened. "Well don't think their gone baby. Got em right here." He lifted his sleeve and held up his arm.

On it was a tight charm bracelet with five pearlescent beads evenly spaced from each other.

"Sometimes my babies like to have a little privacy, take a rest. We have been traveling for a while so they don't really feel like possessing their regular bodies I made for me. Besides it's a lot easier to travel this way."

She looked at the chain on his wrist and the balls started to levitate and pull, and bounce around.

"Saves space, and draws less attention." He added on and dropped his hand again.

Lucy rested her head on top of her knees.

"Didn't think you were the type to want to avoid attention." She poked back.

He nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say, I'm a man of mystery."

She snorted and sat back. Her eyes were locked on his wrist.

"Bickslow...is seith magic at all like celestial magic?" She asked, the question having been rolling around him her mind for a while.

Upon meeting, him she learned he used spirits to help him fight but she never really questioned him about it.

He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you would put em in the same category. Spirit Magic. I just use a different kind of spirit."

She nodded, eyes following the green floating orb on its chain.

'How do you get your spirits?" She asked, her tone becoming more flat, and less friendly.

She was remembering their first fight. How he pulled back his mask for the first time, how she couldn't look at him without losing her soul to him. She usually saw magic as a beautiful, helpful art, but where was the beauty in stealing a person's being? Just thinking about it made her afraid to look back up at him now that his visor was gone.

"Well...different seith mages got their own way of doing things." He knew where her mind was. "Dark mages steal what we call 'living souls'."

She nodded but her brows furrowed.

"Aren't all souls technically living? Can you kill a soul?"

He shrugged.

"Not sure. That's just what we call em. Means they are still attached to a body, still giving life to their original form. Most seith mages though will look for dead souls. These spirits lived their life, but never moved on to another place. They wander around without purpose, restless."

She lifted her eyes but still didn't meet his face.

"Oh...well...that sounds better than...the other option."

"Yeah. It can be scary when it's put in the wrong hands. Luckily, it's an exclusive art. Ya gotta be able to contact dead souls if you want to use it. There's not many people that got the gift."

She nodded, silently wondering if he recognized that he had used the power in the same scary way. Bringing it up wouldn't do anything but make the atmosphere stiff.

"Can I ask who your souls were...or are... how you got them?" She continued.

She could hear the charms rustling around now on his wrist. They jingled the chain, and she wondered why they didn't speak. They still could in this form, couldn't they? Their voices weren't determined by their bodies.

"Do you control them? Like...do the spirits still have any freewill anymore? Can they think?" She looked down. "Sorry this must be annoying. I just don't understand it very well."

Bickslow only smiled.

"You're fine. It would be the same as me asking about your magic. We all enjoy talking about our crafts. I'm no different." Hearing that eased Lucy's worries. "And yeah, they are just who they are when I met them. They grow and change just like anyone else would, just a lot slower. They think and laugh. They don't feel much anymore. Emotions can be tricky for the dead. It can be hard to feel anything more than what you died feeling. That's why restless souls can't bring themselves to move on. When you're sad...you don't really want to do anything. Even if it's good for you, ya know?"

She nodded.

"Your souls seem so happy...how could they be so happy when they died? Why wouldn't they want to move on?" She questioned, leaning on the heater again.

Bickslow crossed his legs in his seat and for a moment he thought of how he should word his answer.

"I guess to start I should explain that the roots of seith magic was to help the wounded and sad dead soul's crossover to a happier plain. We weren't fighting wizards. Our purpose was entirely different."

She bunched her brows and found more questions popping up.

"Well...wait I don't understand. How did they make the transition then?"

"Ya see baby, there's a lot of dark guilds that can use the power of angry and sad souls in different ways to do their bidding. Sometimes it shreds the souls and... I dunno what happens to them after they are torn up, but I know I can't detect them past being ripped up. Point is, when the seith mages heard of this abuse, we decided to talk to our spirits and use their energy to protect them."

She nodded again.

"How do they use their powers? Is that determined by the seith mage?"

He shook his head.

"Nope. Usually it has to do with how they died, unless they were a mage born with magic within them. Then they will retain those powers, and sometimes be granted more."

She nodded and they both let the topic rest while she drank it all in.

"Alright but you didn't answer my question." She prompted.

Bickslow smiled and laughed, leaning forward to engage the conversation again.

"If your souls are happy why are they still with you? If you've made them content with how they passed then why haven't they…. ya know...passed?"

Bickslow took a breath and sat up.

"Well that one might have a little bit of a sad answer baby. Sure you can take it?" He asked, not teasing this time.

She frowned, and sat up to mirror him.

"uh...I think so? Yeah. I want to know." She decided.

He looked down and nodded back.

"Well, ya see baby. I grew up in an orphanage before becoming a mage at Fairy Tail. I was left there as an infant, so I grew up there. The place was real run down so we didn't get parents coming in very often to adopt. We all just kinda accepted our place. One day though, five babies were dropped off. They couldn't talk much, and I was way older than them, but…" He shrugged. "I dunno. Somethin' in me clicked. I pretty much started taking care of em. I didn't have more than they did, but I gave em everything I could." He paused and she waited. "Anyway, they couldn't talk much. Just pop out some letters and words every now and again. As they grew up they all kinda named themselves. Pappa, Pippi, Puppu, Peppe and Poppo. The years went on and I kept takin' care of em. Before long we were our own little family. They all started to get their own little personalities, started walking, it wasn't great but we were happy to have each other."

Lucy remembered this story wouldn't be happy...and she remembered the rarely used names of Bickslows...babies.

"The place was real run down. I don't even know what happened. I had gone out to try and find some new toys for the kids." He deflated, eyes filling with a long lasting sorrow, smile staying on his face despite it. "I don't know what happened. The whole place was just up in flames. I couldn't do anything for em...they were already gone. Just their souls left. No bodies for em to go back to…"

Lucy stiffly moved forward and took his hand, and he laughed softly. He was hurting, but she could tell he was long past his tears to cry over this story.

"I had found this little...tiki...lookin...thing….it was just a base….but I carved a few more out. Made em some new bodies. That's why they stay, even if their happy…" He looked down at the floor. "They aren't done livin' yet." He sniffed but she never saw his smile falter.

She wondered if he was holding it up for her sake, but she didn't see any tremble in his lip.

She felt her heart sinking and her eyes eventually drifted to the floor. She took a breath but it was too easy for her to picture. Another child left in the world with nothing. Would he just wonder until he found Fairy Tail? She couldn't imagine opening her heart up after a disaster like that.

"Hey now, ain't I the one supposed to be getting upset over here?" She felt his hand wrap around hers and squeeze.

She must have looked about ready to sob. She lifted herself up and brought her hands to her eyes. She shook her head quickly and put a hand on her cheek.

"Sorry. I just…" she shook her head. "I never expected something like that. You...you didn't have to tell me something so...personal." she insisted. "Something so heartbreaking…"

"It's really not that dramatic to me. I see death all of the time. Ya kinda get used to it. I mean, my babies ain't just hanging around for the heck of it. They are waiting to see me off to my afterlife too. They are a constant reminder that one day I'm gunna join em. I could be sad about it. But what is that gunna do? I'll be happy when they can rest. When we all rest. Not that I'm lookin' forward to it or anything." He pulled his hands back and started to laugh.

Lucy found herself giving a chuckle herself. She shook her head and sat back.

"You're something else. Nothing like I thought you would be." She looked up at him and met impossibly red eyes.

It made her jump in her spot. She let out a breath that had shot into her lungs and held her chest. She realized how low her guard had dropped. She stood up and felt a wave of goosebumps run down her arms. Maybe one day they could be close. She looked down and for a while she repeated the story in her head.

Freed and Evergreen brought back food platters for the other two in their group. Lucy nibbled on crackers and cheese and cut meats while they spoke about this and that. Idle chitchat. Evergreen was excitedly bringing the topic back to their pit stop the next day, what stores she wanted to see, and in general just how excited she was to be going. It didn't seem to bother anyone. If anything, they were all happy to have something to listen to. It only became more true the further they traveled. They traded overcast skies for a sweltering sun that would not relent. The heat would build in the room and either Evergreen would burn herself off the topic, or she would become too fatigued to continue. Silence was as accepted easily. The train shook and chugged along the tracks, never stopping or slowing down. They would pass through towns and leave them as quickly as they came.

When it came time, Lucy started to watch the sun sink down to the horizon. She hoped once it disappeared so would some of the heat in the room. It only made since, right?

"We should change clothes."

Freed pulled her out of her dozy thoughts.

"Considering the heat, we should all change into our sleep clothes. They will be lighter."

"OOHhhhhHOOOoo Freed is sayin' we should strip down babies!" Bickslow grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him back and forth.

Freed lifted his lip in disgust and pulled away.

"Stop twisting things. It's clear none of us are comfortable. You and I especially. It's not going to get much cooler tonight. I'm personally planning on sleeping soon. I would rather catch up on rest than stay conscious of the temperature."

He stood and grabbed the bags that had long been stowed under the seats.

"Sleep through it? That's your plan?" Bickslow asked from where he lounged.

"It's not a bad one honestly." Evergreen hummed, following him once he left the room.

"I'll take the bottom bunk if that's okay with you Lucy." Evergreen asked with a sweet hum in her voice. "You don't mind right?"

"Not at all." She confirmed, and it made the other woman's smile grow. She waved and they walked to the bathrooms to change.

Bickslow stood. "Here, I'll get out so you can change too. I'll go to the bathroom in the other car." He grabbed his bags and Lucy could hear the clinking of wood.

"Wait up." She stood quickly.

He faced her.

"Can I see one? Just until you get back?" She nodded to his bag.

He didn't understand at first, but then his smile spread, naturally. It was Bickslow after all. He threw an arm down into the bag and rummaged around until he found one he liked. He pulled it out, inspected it, and smiled.

"Here ya go baby." he placed the tiki figure in her hand and she smiled back at him.

"Thank you." she sang back at him and held the object with two hands carefully.

"See ya in a sec baby." he nodded to her and pulled down the blinds on the door before leaving the room. She bumped the door closed and looked at the figure. The detail wasn't anything amazing. His lines were clean, and she could tell he put thought into them before painting them, but there was no highly rendered details. She lifted the idea that it must be because he was used to his tikis being destroyed. Maybe not every fight, but often enough to not sweat the small things.

The face smiling up at her was pink, and wide, accompanied by two black dots. She scoffed a laugh to herself. She felt this was his way of telling her to smile and lighten up. It was hard to imagine the object coming to life now. It was smooth in her hands, and everything on it was static. The wings didn't wiggle, the eyes didn't blink, but still a soul would sit inside and give it life. She liked that idea. Souls with unfinished business wouldn't have to waste their existence. She sat the doll down on the couch.

She turned away from it and started to lift her shirt but halted in place when she got the sensation of being watched. His souls weren't even IN the tikis….as far as she knew! She grabbed the pillow from the bed above and tossed it down onto the doll. It was still BICKSLOW. She wouldn't take any chances.

She changed into a breezy pink tank top and shorts. She grabbed the Tiki and pillow before swinging herself up into the second bunk. The group made their way back into the room, Bickslow in loose blue and black plaid pants, and a white tight thank top. Evergreen was dressed much like Lucy, though her clothes matched. Floral white and pastel pink flowers with a darker pink tank. She rolled into the bottom bunk, as did Bickslow and they spoke idly. Lucy laid on her stomach and watched out the window as they chugged along.

"I think I agree with Laxus." They all looked up when Freed spoke and entered the room. He was in a white, wide collar shirt, and green pajama bottoms. He stooped to stow his bag back under the bench and hoisted himself up the small ladder built into the wall. The train shook and slammed him into the large platform holding up his bed.

Lucy jerked forward when she heard him grunt. She saw him tighten up but the pain only annoyed him.

"I do not like trains." He growled and he twisted to crawl onto his bed. He huffed as he fell onto his back.

Lucy fit the platform fine, but she noticed now he was laid out that Freed's feet were pressed against the wall.

He took a breath and let it out slowly as he pulled his feet up, his knees touching the top of the train. Lucy rolled over and propped her head up on her hand.

"I would offer you my side...but it's the same size. I'm sorry you are so crammed in." She had the urge to help him but not the means.

He looked over and his sour look lifted just an inch.

"It's okay. We've dealt with worse situations than this before. It's all worth it to reunite you and Laxus." He told her.

The soft smile on his face made her heart jump and her eyes shoot down.

"Ah...of course." she nodded.

She dared to glance back up at him.

Their eyes met. The color of blue that hit hers sang serenity and confidence. He was a powerful warrior and it was clear with just a glance. She wanted to speak but her words left her completely. She opened her mouth, not sure what she would say just yet. Before any sound came out a blue and black fluffy head cut their line of sight. Bickslow had stood and was now facing Freed.

"I know what will make this more fun. Wanna have a few drinks man?" He snapped to face Lucy instead. "I bet it wouldn't take a lot for you, which works. I don't have a lot." he laughed.

Freed snorted.

"I don't know how a hangover tomorrow would benefit me now." he quipped back, catching his friend's attention.

"Like you drink enough to get hung over. One shot ain't enough for a buzz let alone a hangover." He stepped closer and crossed his, laying them on the edge of the shelf.

The two went back and forth about the drinks, Bickslow insisting it was a good idea, Freed rejecting him. Bickslow was persistent but Freed could block out his intended annoyances easily. He had pulled a book out from under his pillow and was softly firing off 'no's after each request Bickslow made. It didn't deter the seith mage. He only giggled and smiled wider, settling into his position by leaning on the shelf of his bed. Freed wasn't bothered but with every new 'you sure you don't wanna drink?' Lucy could feel her will growing weak.

"Three shots?" Bickslow asked.

"No." Freed's flat voice answered.

"Okay okay. Just two shots?"

"No." Freed turned the page of his book.

"Oka~y…ten shots!" Bickslow tapped his hands on the shelf in rapid fire.

Lucy was about to speak up and ask him to stop when she heard a loud:

"HEY! Sit down and shut your mouth!"

It made Lucy jump. She didn't know Evergreen could sound so vicious. Bickslow turned to look at her and chuckled.

"Alright alright baby. Sorry I annoyed ya baby." He sat down on his bed and tugged at his shirt.

He tossed it under Evergreen's bed to lay on top of his bag. Freed shot up and stared at the item.

"Do you think that's appropriate!?" he asked and threw his body towards the edge of his bed. His head hung down over the side, all of his long hair draping down like a curtain. He hung there and glared at Bickslow.

He only laughed.

"You expect me to sleep with a shirt on? It's getting pretty hot in here. It's only going to get worse." His smile stretched and Freed sighed.

He pulled himself back up and laid on his back. He crossed his arms over his chest and Lucy got to see his lips purse into a pout. She laid on her stomach and hid her face in her pillow so he couldn't see her hiding giggles.

"Fine. Do as you please. Heathen." He insisted and rolled his shoulders back. He reached over to the light switch that connected to one lamp by his bed.

The room had a total for four, one for each bunk. The room dimmed and he laid back, closing his book.

"Goodnight." He hummed to the room.

At the same time the light under Lucy flicked away.

"See you in the morning." Evergreen called back to him, deciding to sleep as well.

Lucy and Bickslow followed suit and clicked their lights off at almost the same time.

"Yeah, see ya in the morning."

"Night everyone." Lucy told them and they all laid down to rest.

The shaking of the train had been obnoxious while staying up but Lucy found herself being lulled to sleep quickly by the motions. She faded off into a black, dreamless sleep.

She wished it was longer lived. Her eyes were opening again in what seemed like seconds to her. The sun wasn't up, and a new quiet had overtaken the train. Low, slow breathing could be heard underneath her. Evergreen and Bickslow were still asleep, but the light adjacent of her own was on again.

Reclined in the bed to the left of her was a muscular body, and strong arms, callused fingers holding the edges of a dusty book. Freed had taken his shirt off and tossed it below as Bickslow had. The sight made her breathing halt and heart skip. Then all at once it hit her why.

"It's like a sauna in here." She groaned and flopped to her side to face him.

He jumped and his head snapped to her.

"Yes." He answered much more calmly.

He closed his eyes to gather himself, having not expected anyone to be awake.

"I can't be sure where this heat has come from. It's cool outside." He nodded to the small, rectangular window that now hung open.

She reached up and felt a nice breeze on her fingers.

"I believe the air conditioning on this train may be faulty or out completely."

Lucy noticed his hair was pulled up into a scattered green bun. He had sweat beading at the top of his head.

She propped her cheek up with her hand.

"Is that why you're awake? The heat?"

He shook his head.

"That's not it. I have a hard time sleeping with noise like this. People keep walking down the hallway, or coughing in their rooms. Sometimes I just get caught up on the idea we are going to be ambushed and it ruins my entire night."

"Ambushed?" she repeated.

He nodded.

"The more powerful and renowned you become, the more people start picking fights. I can't tell you how many times we've been fast asleep for someone to break in and challenge us. Some even plan to do worse."

She sat up and her face contorted in worry. Freed noticed.

"Oh don't think on it too much. Usually it's a fan that wants to impress us. That or a sad little dark guild who thinks we are a threat. It's more of an annoyance than anything else. It's just hard to sleep when you're worrying about something that won't happen." He shrugged. "I promise it's nothing. I don't think I would be sitting here if I were actually fearful of our safety."

She nodded and curled her head back onto her pillow. They sank back down into silence and she let her eyes fall away as she became lost in her thoughts. The engine chugged and every now and again Freed would turn the pages of his book. The heat pressed down on the two and made it easier melt down into their beds.

"What should I say to him?" Her voice was soft, unsure, and muffled by the pillow pressed to her cheek.

Freed heard her and looked ahead. The room went back to clicking tracks as he thought.

"I'm not sure. I don't think you should apologize to him. But coming on strong will only make him react in the same way. You should be polite, but firm. Most importantly," He looked at her. "you need to know what you want. What are you going on this trip for? Do you want to pursue a relationship with him, and why? Do you want to keep your distance from him and if so how far? Do you only want the hostility to stop? You need to know what you want. He will react better if you speak as plainly as possible."

She nodded to tell him she understood, then pulled her legs up. She took a breath, and let it out slowly.

"You're right. Of course you're right." She hummed. "I…should I?" She looked back up through her lashes.

"Should you? Should you pursue a relationship, or not?" He asked in return, to clarify her answer.

He closed his book and took another breath in.

"I honestly do believe you will both benefit from each other. He has only been hostile towards you. I know it's hard to understand it." He paused. "I hate that he's acting this way." He sounded disgusted and half a sneer lifted his lip. "It's below him. And he knows it."

She nodded and looked down to pick at her sheets.

"I don't understand why he's upset with me at all. I haven't done anything to him." She insisted, expecting him to agree with her.

"Well…" Freed started. "That's an easy thought for the child that was wanted. The child who was able to grow up in a decent family. You had your strife but nothing Laxus could compare to his own life." He looked up to see her shocked, and shamed face. She looked down and swallowed. "I'm not defending him." He clarified.

Her head lifted.

"I want to give you his perspective so you understand where his frustration comes from. Maybe your mother wasn't the woman he now has painted in his mind, but he has no other context of her. He's always had family issues so of course he will be hurt. And he's never been allowed to just be sad, so angry is his default." Another pause.

He cocked his jaw to the side and his eyes stayed on hers for a long moment.

"It's my impression you think he's insensitive, or could never be upset about this in the way you are…but I know him very well. I hope tomorrow you will see more than just anger from him."

"Tomorrow?" She perked up. "We will see him that early? I thought it would take at least another day!"

He nodded. "As did I, but at the station I overheard two men talking about him. He's been sighted much closer than I thought he would be. We will take our break tomorrow, allow Evergreen to shop, and I believe I should be able to find his exact location during the break. You should be prepared to speak to him that evening." He shifted his shoulders. "And we should be going to sleep, despite the heat and the noise."

"I don't think I could now. I'm too nervous." She admitted and frowned, feeling her heart twist in fear.

Freed smiled to her.

"Don't worry about him Lucy. What's the worst thing he can do to you? Yell and make a larger ass of himself? I'm shaking in my boots." He mused lightly.

"He could shock me with a thousand volts of electricity!" She insisted lightly, but it had been a real concern of her from the first moment their fight had started.

He scoffed and tossed his hands up.

"A thousand volts really isn't that much. Fifteen thousand is the range you should start to worry."

"Free~d!" She whined and laughed.

He smirked at her.

"Besides it's the wattage that reall-"

"Stop!" she giggled and rolled onto her back.

"Don't worry Lucy. I won't let any harm come to you." He swore.

She looked over, heart drumming. He reached over for the light.

Lucy attached her eyes to his sculpted torso that glittered in the light before her vision was cut by the light going out.

"Goodnight Freed."

"Goodnight Lucy. Please rest well."


	7. Left Unsaid

Lucy had her hip cocked to the side, her shoulders drooped. She was feigning interest in the rack of clothes in front of her. She flicked through the hangers without giving the clothes in front of her any attention. She could hear Evergreen a few racks away. She was moving further into the store as she scanned the racks.

Lucy couldn't understand what had happened. This morning Evergreen had been ecstatic over the idea of showing Lucy around the shopping center. She even asked her to sit in the bathroom with her while she did her makeup, which Lucy had done gladly. She sat on the closed toilet as Evergreen gushed about all the stores and cafes they had to see that day. She talked about going to get tea and snacks at a little restaurant when they got tired. She had even let Lucy try one of her expensive lip glosses. When she admitted to liking, it Evergreen waved her off and told her to keep it. It had been a while since she had an actual girl's day, and she had NEVER gone with someone so proudly feminine. Evergreen had built her up and she was excited!

After the train ride they found a locker to stow their luggage and Freed took Bickslow out to search for clues. In seconds the cheerful and vibrant Evergreen became as stoic and serious as one of her stone statues. Lucy brushed it off and told herself Evergreen was just focused on getting to the shopping center. It didn't switch back.

It was only the second store on the line but Evergreen was acting completely different than she had that morning. Lucy tried to strike up a conversation only to have it immediately shot down with a cold douse of indifference. She didn't look at Lucy or speak to her at all. Lucy didn't understand what she could have done between getting off the train and the boys leaving to have pissed her off like this.

"Hey Evergreen, what do you think of this color on me?" She snapped a salmon shirt off the rack and held it in front of herself.

It was casual to the world, but to her, it was a strategic plan of attack. Break the ice and bring back that bubbly brunette!

Evergreen looked at her face, then the shirt, then back up. There was a stomach twisting pause.

"It looks fine." She turned back to her hunt without another word.

Lucy deflated visibly, not that Evergreen could see her now. It wasn't rude. But it wasn't polite either. She turned back to the rack and replaced the shirt with a clack of the hanger on metal. She brought her hands up and grabbed her arms.

"Alright." She sighed to herself.

Suddenly the task of sharing the entire day with Evergreen was daunting. She didn't need clothes and all interest in pleasure spending was gone when your shopping buddy was as supportive as silly string. She pushed a few more hangers before turning around. She looked at Evergreen who had all but forgotten her. She could try another attempt to be friendly but somehow, she was sure it wouldn't be accepted. Lucy relented and took the rest of the time to wander around aimlessly and contemplate her other options. When she had tried to talk to Laxus and he had torn her apart. Now in a completely different way, Evergreen was doing the same. Shutting her down. Ignoring her. Lucy was on this wild goose chase to try to become closer to these people. To get to know her last living relative, and his dearest friends. She was doing everything she could think of but in the end, she knew she was powerless to what they would choose. If they didn't want to know who she was then she couldn't force them. If they shut her down she couldn't fight it. She would just have to stick it out until Freed came for them.

She was looking at the jewelry near the checkout when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Evergreen nodded to the door.

"Let's go to the next store." She insisted and didn't wait for an answer before walking for the exit.

A flare of annoyance started at the base of Lucy's heart and built up into her throat. She swallowed in an attempt to quench the fire, and it worked. She followed holding no hope for the next store to be any better.

Days should have passed in the time-span Lucy had to live through. There was only so much make believe she had in her system when it came to the pointless vanities the stores had to offer. The necklaces were nice, the clothes would look good on her, but how could she care when she had a problem chewing on her mind? It got to the point where she would find a chair or wall to lean on and wait for Evergreen decide _she_ was ready to leave. She was trying to take the path of least resistance and play nice, but this place had no lack of stores to shop through, and it didn't look like she was going to be dismissed.

She slumped over on a circular ottoman and held her head up with her arm. She missed Freed. It was surprising how quickly her idea of him had changed. Only a few days ago she had been too frightened to speak with him. She remembered opening the door to find him caked in mud and how it had terrified her to see him there. Now the thought made her smile. He was a kind person. Yes, he was… dangerous…and maybe all of the walls surrounding him weren't completely gone but he was the only source of safety she felt while in the Thunder Legion. She wondered if Evergreen felt the same way. If she were counting the minutes of his return as well.

A few more shops went by. Lucy couldn't remember saying more than maybe one or two words to Evergreen between them all. She trudged behind the fairy woman hopelessly and scanned the streets as they walked, mainly to avoid bumping into strangers. In the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of something bright pink. In large letters, a yellow sign read 'GELATO'. She perked up. She wasn't hungry, but she could use a distraction, and something to entertain herself with.

"Let's stop here and get a cup." She nodded to the shop.

Evergreen stared at it, and she looked like she would refuse. She gave in to any mental disagreements she had and they walked in together. Evergreen got the smallest size of pistachio gelato and paid for it. Lucy was right behind her with a slightly bigger cup of lemon gelato.

Outside of the store were tables and seats for the patrons so Lucy and Evergreen sat and watched the people pass by as they enjoyed their treat. They faced away from each other and dabbed at their frozen treat with the small plastic spoons they were given. People walked by. Couples, families, friends, all strolling through the town center. Lucy had to admit this town was lovely. There were sculptures and nice green patches of grass between the stone walkways. In front of them now was a large round fountain with a simple sphere sculpture set in the middle. It was nice to listen to and when the breeze picked up it would carry the mist of the water around in the warm air. Today could have been nice.

No one spoke so Lucy had time to herself to stop and think. She sucked on the end of her spoon and watched kids splash in the water and giggle. She was avoiding Evergreen and trying not to step on her toes. She was cowering down and for what reason? She asked herself if she was afraid of being turned into stone again, but that answer didn't sit right. It was more like she was afraid of offending her. She wanted Evergreen to like her…so keep quiet and say yes? What was that really worth? If Evergreen chose not to like her what could Lucy do about it?

Lucy kept her thoughts cooking until Evergreen realized she was being stared at. She flicked her eyes over to Lucy and flinched.

"What's with you?" She demanded and tightened up.

"I…sorry." Lucy jumped like Evergreen had, before relaxing again. She propped her arm up on the table and laid her cheek in her hand. "You were just so happy this morning. I don't know what I did to make you angry. I don't understand why things are different now…If you didn't want to spend time with me you didn't have to pretend. Maybe you treated me nicely because Freed told you to? I…it's the only way I can explain it. I'll tell him we had a good day alright? But I don't want to keep acting like this is fun for either of us."

Lucy felt a weight lift off her shoulders, but it was diminished by the loud pounding of her heart filling her ears. She had never been that rude and blunt before! She was ready for a storm of anger to hit her, and what was worse she felt like she deserved it.

"I…" Evergreen started but she closed her mouth.

Lucy flinched at the word and dropped her head. She wanted to swallow but the lump in her throat was choking her. She was working out her apology in her head as quickly as she could.

"I'm sorry." Evergreen spoke softly, her voice returning to the softness she used with Freed and Bickslow.

Lucy sat still. She wondered if she had imagined it or said it herself but maybe the stress had warped the sound?

"I do like you Lucy. I wasn't trying to be…hostile towards you." A tap told Lucy she had set her cup down on the table. She dared to peek. Evergreen was not the type to let her shoulders drop. She always had crisp posture. For the moment though her arms hung low and shoulders sagged. "I've never been good with…girls." Her voice curled on the last word.

Lucy's brows pulled together and she sat up.

"What do you mean? I mean…you…I don't understand." She made herself stop knowing it would be easier to listen than to make more assumptions.

Evergreen shrugged, head shaking.

"I don't know how to explain it. I've never gotten along with girls very well. I try to but…" she pushed her hair back out of her face and took a breath. She sat up straight and rolled her eyes upwards. "They all say I'm too vain, and it doesn't matter what I do, we always end up fighting. Even…the girls in Fairy Tail." She admitted without any pride.

Lucy frowned and leaned towards her.

"I just can't understand that. You seem like you would get along with everyone just as well as I do." She insisted.

Evergreen looked up, with sadness in her eyes.

"Yes…well. Maybe if we didn't have such bad blood between us now. When I met them we were young, and they were all very different types of girls. They were…strong. They were rough and tough. Even Levy only _really_ liked to read." She explained. "I wanted to get along with them, but they just weren't the same as me. Now…I have grown so far away from them. I just…close around them. I don't know how to act. Even with you..." she closed her eyes. "I was so awful to you when we first met. I can't imagine what you think of me."

She listened and nodded. It was easy to imagine a young, tomboy Erza not being patient with a girly-girl like Evergreen, and Evergreen would get offended. Neither would admit they were wrong and neither would talk enough to realize they needed to fix things.

"It's…honestly irreversible at this point." She scoffed and straightened up. She flipped her hair back and took a breath. "After everything with…with Laxus," she pressed her lips together and huffed. "I don't think I could ever repair the damage. How can you convince someone you're worth trusting if they have never had any trust in you to begin with?" She asked but Lucy didn't think she was supposed to answer.

Another short silence.

"What happened with that Evergreen? Why did you…why was Laxus so angry at the guild? I know it's a sensitive question but I don't know what to believe. I really want to know him. I want to know you." She insisted. "I want to tell you the relationships can be saved, but I don't know what happened…"

"You're right." She turned towards Lucy. "You should know him. And the first thing I think you have to know is that Laxus loves Fairy Tail." She insisted, her eyes locking forward when she said it. "Everything that happened…it was a huge mess. Laxus never wanted to hurt anyone. It just got out of hand." She glanced up as a group walked towards them within ear shot. She didn't speak again until they were gone. It was plain to Lucy that she didn't want to be remembering this story. "I remember the day he told us the 'plan'." She had disgust in her tone. "We were sitting around after a mission. I had just cleaned up and gotten into pajamas. He had been waiting on me I guess. He was upset…Laxus isn't an angry man, but something had been brewing inside of him for years. It's too much to explain all at once…but the point is that the guild…and well the boys and I. The legion. Not Laxus"

She stumbled over her words and brought her hand up to her four head, then continued.

"…we always felt like there was a wedge between us and them. We didn't have friends in Fairy Tail. Just each other. It wasn't that way for Laxus. He was raised by the guild. His father would be the master, his grandfather **was** the master, and **_HIS_** father had created the guild. He had a lot of love for his home, and for his family."

Lucy tried to imagine it, and she could see the boy in the pictures Mira had shown her taking that role. Not the man she knew today. Not 300 pounds of muscle and 'fuck you' supporting the guild.

"Before his father left it was all he would talk about. How he would become strong enough to lead them. He promised then we would feel included. He knew better than anyone else how we felt…we were the outcasts _of the_ outcasts. He knew we all wanted a home."

Her eyes were clouded with the thoughts that hadn't passed through her mind in years. She looked up and swallowed.

"You just don't understand. That day…. that stupid day. It wasn't ego, and anger, and a power struggle. Maybe on the surface, but deep down it was everything he didn't know how to deal with. His father leaving. By Makarovs name, and Laxus feeling like he need to…to…match it. To overcome it. To save the name of his home and…maybe…just a bit in part to make his friends feel like…they had…the home they had always wanted." She brought her hand up to rub the back of her neck. "It was a bluff that got out of control. We wanted them to fight as hard as they could. It sounds like an excuse but Laxus told us it was the only way they would pull together, and he was right."

Lucy was following, but still not satisfied.

"You said he wouldn't hurt anyone. How did it get to the point that he would? What changed to make the plan a scare tactic to…the Thunder Palace? And Fairy Law?

Evergreen's lips went tighter, and Lucy could see in her eyes that she didn't want to say.

"It's too much to explain all at once, especially from me." He refused and shook her head. "All I can say is the Laxus you first met did not take failure well. That's when it got out of control. When our assured victory started to crumble around him..." she had to stop.

Her hand clenched and loosened in a slow, rhythmic motion.

"He felt weak. And he didn't want to accept it. Failure was not an option. We had known that from the first moment. We never thought that Laxus would…lose control."

Lucy frowned but nodded, hoping she would continue. She didn't disappoint.

"You asked me why I did it and it's because he was my friend and I had forgotten what it was like…to see him smile. His father left and with him he took every scrap of Laxus' happiness. He has always been quiet, but it was different. I wanted it back. I wanted to restore something inside of him. It was silly." She scoffed at herself and shook her head. "I was being a hopeful idiot."

She dropped her head and rested her elbows on the edge of the table. She held her temples with the tips of her manicured nails.

"Thank you for telling me Evergreen." Lucy smiled to her and after a moment Evergreen returned the look.

"Do you think there's hope for us misfits Lucy? I would really like to get along with you…seeing how your Laxus' sister that is." She kept it light but Lucy knew one day there may be weight between their relationship.

"Yes. There is definitely hope." She assured her and gave her a real smile.

She brightened up further and straightened her back.

"Evergreen!" Someone yelled. "LUCY!"

Bickslow was tearing down the stone path like a mad man. His legs stretched and his arms pumped forward. When the strange sight registered, they stood and immediately ran to meet him. As they got closer they could hear his breath heaving. He immediately doubled over, hands on his knees, heavy gulps of air rocking through his chest.

"Lah- Lahh! Lahhxus ihhs….heh's" he spat out.

Evergreen narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

"What did you say?" She snapped.

"He-s he-h!" He was trying but the words just weren't coming out.

In a flash of green something shot directly in front of Lucy's face. She crossed her eyes and saw a blurry patch of brown and pink. A faint smell hung in front of her nose with it. One she remembered but couldn't place.

"HE'S HERE!" The high-pitched voice and the spinning colors in front of her face gave her enough context to realize this was one of Bickslow's babies.

Evergreen was shouting at Bickslow to hurry up and say what he meant. She shook the larger man's shoulders with a strength ten times what Lucy would assume she had. They weren't left waiting long for proper answers. Freed had been following but at a more reasonable pace. Lucy spotted him and grabbed Evergreen up. Freed slowed as he approached.

"He was spotted only over an hour ago in the bar we visited. I never expected him to be so close." He looked to Evergreen and then Lucy. "I hate to cut your day short but I think it would be better if we all took a different direction and hunted for him. I've already looked the city over and I can't pinpoint any specific place with any value to Laxus. We should scope all of the moderately priced hotel in the area."

Evergreen nodded and Bickslow heaved himself up to his feet.

"Alright. How will we keep in contact?" Lucy asked quickly.

"Communication lacrima naturally." Freed's answer was short. "You have one, don't you?"

Lucy snapped to attention and put on a flat smile as every eye hit her.

"Ah! Well…ummm." She looked down. "I…haven't gotten around to buying one yet. Natsu would never bother to use one a-and they can be rather pricey!"

Freed dismissed the inconvenience quickly, but she hated to create another road block. She kept her mouth shut and let him create a new plan.

"Fine. We will each take a third of the city. I will go with Lucy. You two keep me updated if you hear anything that can help us."

"Same for you." Evergreen sang back and pulled her jacket off.

She folded it over her arm and her pink wings lifted from her back. A gust of wind hit Lucy and she lifted off the ground. It didn't take her long to zip away.

Lucy turned to look for Bickslow, but he had already vanished. She couldn't shake the mental image of him tearing down the street in the same way he had come. She had to swallow a laugh.

Freed didn't have any emotion on his face. He was clearly off in thought as his hand moved in slow circles to mix the golden tea in his cup. Steam drifted upwards in wavering plumes. He was searching over the map in his hands over and over again like it was a puzzle he could solve if only he could find the missing piece.

Lucy looked down into her own cup, not minding the scenery. They sat outside of a cute little coffee shop. It smelled like freshly ground herbs and spices. Fat fluffy bushes sagged to the side of the building. The sun was turning orange and the air was getting colder.

She wondered if he went to cafés like this often. If he stopped when the weather was nice for a drink. It suited him. It was calm, and relaxed with a punch of sophistication.

"Focus!" She scolded herself mentally and stat up straight. She lifted her drink and brought it to her lips, all the while eyeing the back of the map in his hands.

Freed shifted and laid the paper down. He sat back in his chair.

"I can't imagine what he would stay in this town for." He paused and his eyes drifted down to the table's edge. "I don't have any clue what where to look. Not even a vague direction…hmm."

Lucy frowned and shifted.

"I'm sorry. I'm not too tired. We should keep looking." She insisted, completely ready to pick her things up and move again.

She was pacified by a calm shake of his head.

"Don't be silly. If we rush we will miss vital details. If we exert ourselves we will be useless. It will be better to rest now, and continue our search once the bars open. It's more likely we will find him there."

She nodded and picked at the pastry in front of her. She smeared her fork through the icing on top. It was hard to look up at him. She couldn't concentrate on finding Laxus when her heart was hammering over Freed. She took a breath in and wiggled in her seat.

"You're right…" Her eyes fell to the map. "Maybe you just need a new perspective! Two heads are better than one as they say!"

She reached forward and plucked up the map. She flipped it open and her eyes started darting around quickly. They had traveled pretty far from Magnolia, so she was shocked to recognize the region they were in. "Oh…I didn't know we were so close to Acalypha..."

"Does that have some significance? What's in Acalypha?"

She shook her head, still scanning the map.

"Nothing." She answered quickly. "Nothing. Just the Love and Lucky merchant guild. I've never been. My parents were members at a time." She lowered her hands. "I just didn't know we were so close to…home." She stopped.

Freed sat forward and waited. Lucy's mental gears were grinding hard and Freed could see it in the intensity in her eyes

"Where is he?" He sat forward.

She shook her head, feeling like she threw gas on a lit flame.

"No.. I mean. I have an idea. It's a long shot!" She retracted as quickly as she could. "It would just waste time." She immediately backtracked as the reality of her situation set in.

Freed's jaw locked, his eyes going hard.

"We have been wasting time all day Lucy. I have no idea where else we can look. If you have a sliver of an idea, then I am receptive to it. Please tell me."

He spoke so softly, but with such conviction that it sent chills down her body. She could feel his concern for his friend, and maybe to some extent, Lucy herself. She sat up, and felt heat prick on her cheeks. She itched the side of her nose to relieve the tingle.

"If…that's really how you feel…then follow me." She looked up on her last word and she met his eyes.

If determination was a color she was sure it would be the blue-green cast back at her in that moment. A short, strict nod and he stood.

Lucy felt her heart tremble. She didn't know the man before her and she accepted that, but it didn't change how she felt. He was a pillar of confidence, success, and intelligence. The more time she spent with him the more she realized these were all traits she would want in a protector or in a…boyfriend.

"A-lright. Follow me." She scrambled, grabbing at the map. She ended up knocking over their drinks, but she doubted Freed was set on finishing them.

She had expected to get lost but after they got on the right road she didn't look at the map again. Her stomach twisted and crept up closer to her heart with each step. She was hoping down somewhere low that she would be wrong. Freed wanted to find Laxus, and for the fleeting moment, she was his only real hope of achieving that goal. Her need to find Laxus was no longer fueled by her own emotions, but by the loyal friend to him that so eagerly jumped onto her hunch, and a man she didn't want to disappoint.

It was a guess she was not sure of. A sliver of information she had no faith in. Freed stopped behind her. She twisted around to look at him. His eyes were set forward. She followed the path his eyes set, and saw a dark spot far in front of them.

No one moved. They were both content with looking and confirming that they were seeing the same thing.

"That's him…? "Lucy was the first to speak.

Freed nodded.

"You were correct..." His eyes shot down.

She turned around to face him and was stunned again. His eyes were raging with waves of sadness. He closed them and kept his brows tight. She saw his Adams apple bob with a thick swallow.

They stood between headstones, some withered away and hardly legible. The sun cast their shadows against the ground and a faint wind swayed their clothes making their silhouettes waver.

"Of all places." Freed's voice broke and Lucy looked up, moved towards him, and dared to put a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head and stood straighter. When he opened his eyes, they were back to their usual stone cold firmness. He wasn't on the brink of tears, and he wasn't trembling.

Lucy swallowed and wondered where that strength had come from. She pulled back and faced the figure again. She had believed so strongly that this man who cursed her on the upper floor of the guild was deprived of emotion that it would be impossible for him to be sitting in front of any grave. Certainly, not this grave. Not the stone angel and headstone that marked her mother's grave.

His mother's grave.

The sun was almost gone. Enough remained to glitter down onto his golden hair and make it glow. It laid over the black of his coat, bounced off the gray fur that lined it. She felt her chest heave and she wished she had never thought of this. She wished she had never considered this place. The monument seemed bigger with Laxus' sat in front of it. She had always known the headstone was large but Lucy had never considered herself tall. She knew how big Laxus was, and the black stone, and white angel dwarfed the seven foot man.

She turned and looked to Freed again, silently seeking guidance. He returned her look and he debated his options.

"I should lead." He told her flatly. "I don't know how he will react to seeing you. I would expect him to be in an emotional state…" he paused, and she could see confliction pulling him in several directions. "Should he start to yell, or do anything that I suspect could lead to violence I will put you inside of a wall of my script until he gets over the shock. If he does not I will teleport you somewhere else and I will not tell him where you are.I will contact Evergreen and Bickslow and tell them to come get you. They will protect you, and necessary they will escort you home." She longed for his assured, strong voice, but instead it was littered with shame.

He was embarrassed to have to take these precautions.

She nodded.

"I understand Freed." She matched his seriousness. "You lead."

Lucy felt sick as they moved. She hugged her arms and focused on the red coat in front of her. They walked and she trusted him to lead. All to quickly she could feel the heat of the fleeting sun be reflected from the pure angel reflected down onto her.

"Laxus…" Freed started.

They both waited for the dragon man to acknowledge them. He didn't have any immediate reaction or snap his head up to look at them.

"You knew we were here?" Freed asked, judging the slayers reaction.

Laxus nodded.

"Heard some mumbling behind me. Recognized who it was." He admitted shortly, still not breaking eye contact with the stone ahead of him.

Freed nodded. She looked back at the sizable distance they had walked, then remembered his sensitive ears. She wondered if he had heard their conversation. She felt the warmth of Freed's hand on her back, then he added a pressure to guide her forward.

"Lucy, the thunder legion, and myself came looking for you." Freed explained as cleanly as he could.

Laxus again didn't react. Only stared.

Lucy looked between Freed, then her 'brother'.

She took a step forward.

"Laxus…I know you're not happy to see me but-"

His hand raised up quickly, and it made his body sway forward.

She stopped, and felt her heart plummet. After it all he wouldn't even hear more than a handful of words…

The wind picked up again and she felt her legs to weak. She stiffened up, determined to stay strong in front of Freed. Another painful silence set in, and Laxus dropped his arm. Seconds ticked by and in that short time Lucy contemplated everything she had done, and why she did an of it. She wanted to say knowing Laxus had no worth to her but she knew it was true.

She heard gravel shift as Freed stepped forward. He passed her and stood over Laxus.

"You're drunk." His tone was crisp.

Laxus was unfocused, but he nodded lazily.

"I am a little fucked up." He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders.

Freed tightened and Lucy heard him take a breath in an attempt to calm himself.

"Stop puffin' up." Laxus grunted, and finally turned his head to look at Freed. His eyes were hooded but he wasn't plastered. "I know you must have something you wanna say." His gaze traveled down and his eyes locked with Lucy's. "Both of you…" He added. "But I have had one shot too many for anything more emotional than a romantic comedy."

Lucy broke the contact and looked at Freed. Laxus focused on the statue again.

Freed sighed and shook his head. He knelt next to him, inspecting Laxus. Lucy almost didn't hear him the next time he spoke.

"Why are you drinking Laxus?"

Laxus shook his head and closed his eyes.

"Not now. You both should be pissed at me, but if I start talking now it's just gunna end badly." His head drifted towards Freed. "Are Evergreen and Bickslow with you?" He questioned.

Freed gave Laxus a worried look before nodding.

Laxus bobbed his head.

"Good. You call em up and tell em the hotel I'm staying at. Tell em to get a room and we will get together tonight." He tightened his shoulders, and released before picking himself off of the ground.

Freed rose with him but his worry didn't vanish.

Laxus noticed and rolled his head back.

"Freed. Do you really think I'm so wasted I can't think straight?" He huffed.

Freed's lips tightened.

"No. I'm just worried about you…"

"Why?" Laxus insisted, lifting his hand to rub at his scared cheek.

Freed didn't mean to look at the grave but Laxus saw the direction of his eyes twitch. He rolled his lip, hands going to his hips.

"You want the truth? I can't take it right now. I can not talk about it. I need a distraction tonight. I can drink and be alone, or I can drink and have fun with the guys." He suggested. "Either way, I know what I'm doing tonight. And it involves a lot of whiskey."

Freed thought about it, then closed his eyes.

Freed was fighting emotions right now. He didn't like how Laxus was barking at him, but at the same time how could he snap back at him in this spot.

"I am worried about you Laxus. But I believe you."

Laxus nodded back at him.

"I know you're mad." He reached forward and grabbed Freed by the back of the neck. He squeezed softly. "I'm an ass. Okay? We agree?" He shook him softly. "Can we talk all you want after my hangover?"

Freed nodded and kept his eyes away.

"Alright then. Go pick me up some whiskey and tell them where we are." He confirmed.

He went to move in Lucy's direction, and remembered she was there. He stalled, face going blank.

"What do you drink?"

She blinked a few times.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you like to drink? Alcohol." He…somewhat patiently explained.

"Oh!" she tightened her lips. "I um… I…" She shook her head. "I dunno. I…I don't really."

He nodded.

"Get her some of that sweet shit Evergreen likes." He called over his shoulder. "I got shit to own up to, and we can." He didn't like to admit that, and it was clear. "But tonight just pretend that shit doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Tonight just bullshit with us and have a good time. You don't have to drink, but you have it if it's there, alright?"

She was shocked that he could speak without cursing or spitting on her. It would have been easy to shout back an agreement to pacify him. She stared back and thought.

She nodded.

"I would like that." She admitted.

Laxus didn't expect that answer. His brows raised. He looked back at Freed.

"Shit." He huffed. "I think I did it right that time."

Freed broke from his irritated worry just enough to tighten his lips and roll his eyes.

He marched again, and gave her a rough slap on the shoulder as he passed her. Lucy had no gauge for how drunk he was, but he had none for how much that moment meant.


	8. One More Drink

"Guys!" He Laxus roared, trying to shake Evergreen from around his neck and Bickslow from the death grip hug around his chest and left arm.

It was no use. Their combined weight knocked him back against the wall where their celebratory attack continued. The two had sprung forward as soon as the hotel room was open, yelling loudly about how they had missed him, asking where he had gone. It reminded Lucy of kittens climbing over a huge dog. Laxus could bark and growl but it wouldn't run them off. Evergreen nuzzled her cheek against his face and Bickslow was practically shouting directly into his ear.

Lucy smiled stiffly charmed by the display before the sound of clinking bottles caught her attention. She whipped around, then moved to help Freed with the groceries. The hotel he had found was not expensive at all. His room had one big bed, a couch and two sagging leather armchairs, a coffee table and a dresser. There was a glass door that led to a sizable but empty balcony. Half of the room was separated by a decent kitchenette that had an open island that served as the table. The space was nice and open. The kitchen area was paved in tan tiles that sounded cheap against their feet, and the rest of the room was covered in a dusty brownish-red carpet that was on its way out. Some places looked ready to rip, namely in front of the door, and leading out to the balcony. High traffic areas.

"Can I help you put things away?" She asked him.

He perked up and his eyes went wide for a second.

"If you would like." He nodded, before handing her a cluster of bags.

She took them and they both went to the counters to set them down. It didn't take long with them both at work. She pulled up the last bag and peered inside. She laughed to herself and pulled a box out.

"Why did you get so much fruit?"

Freed looked to see what she meant. He had a cutting board in his hand and a knife.

"What do you mean? It's to make drinks. You thought I was going to buy something pre-mixed?" He lifted a brow and gave her smile. He tutted and shook his head.

Lucy's jaw clamped to her skull and she swallowed hard. Why was he so relentlessly smooth!

She turned towards the counter as he set the tools down. He took the box of strawberries from her, popped the top, and picked out a few.

"You can join the others if you like Lucy." He told her. "I'm capable of making the drinks on my own."

She frowned and leaned forward on the counter, still watching his hands.

"Could I stay and watch? I don't know how to make mixed drinks." Her eyes flicked over the berries, then up to him. She gave him her cutest smile. "I promise not to get in the way."

He smirked and gave her the side eye.

"You could help me make them if you like. It's not difficult."

She snapped back up and slapped her hands on the counter.

"Just tell me what to do boss!" She cheered.

He chuckled and nodded.

"Alright, alright." He held his hand up to her. "But if we are going to do this, we are going to do it the right way." He opened the fridge and took out an ice bucket and a frosty martini glass.

"First I'll show you how to make a dirty martini. The way I like it anyway." He told her, grabbing a metal shaker from the counter.

He twisted the top off and let a few ice cubes clatter into the bottom. He grabbed the vodka, cracked the sealed top and poured a substantial amount over the ice, then the gen. He cracked it, and poured it over. He slid the cap back on and offered it to Lucy.

She stared at it before taking it with both hands.

"Hold the top lightly, and shake it." He instructed, then licked a drop of gen that had dripped onto his finger.

"Just shake?" She asked.

He nodded. "No special way, just shake until I tell you to stop." He reaffirmed her.

She started to shake and she heard the ice raddle around in the metal. He watched her for just a second before he reached for the belt around his coat. He pulled it loose and slipped the buttons from their loops quickly. She found it difficult not to watch him, and her head was racing to understand what he was doing.

He slipped out of his coat, then his neck tie.

"Bickslow." He raised his voice and the seith mage looked up from the coffee table where he sat, chatting with Laxus.

Freed didn't bother explaining, and chucked his coat and tie at him. Bickslow shot up and caught them both.

"Hang that for me?"

"You got it." Bickslow agreed and moved to the closet.

Freed turned his attention away and Lucy did too.

"That's good." He raised his hand to take the shaker. "Take this." He handed her a smaller bottle that reminded her of a wine. "Pour it into the glass, run it around the edges, and pour the rest out."

She blinked at him. "Pour it out?"

He nodded. She gave him an unsure look, but poured a tiny amount of the clear liquid, and swirled the glass until it was all covered.

Lucy stopped and gave it a fast inspection before offering it to him. He took the cap off the shaker and poured the liquid into the frosty glass. He dropped two olives into the bottom and poured just a dash of the juice into the cup.

"Wow. It's like a fully stocked bar over here." Lucy giggled. Maybe she was trying to sound cute, or maybe it was natural. Who was to say?

"Of course. Only the best for my team." He added. "Now Lucy there is a very good reason why I made this drink first."

She smiled wider, ready to hear his bartending tips.

"Yeah?"

"Yes." He nodded and lifted the glass to his lips. He took a sip. "in this bar, the bartender always gets the first drink."

She scoffed and they both smiled and laughed.

He gave the drink a pleasant hum and nodded.

"Not bad at all." He praised himself, scooping up more ice, this time moving around Lucy to pour it into a blender.

She eyed the drink. Crisp, cool, and classic. With just a touch of green and red.

"Try it if you like." He called over his shoulder without needing to turn around.

He reached for the strawberries and his arm brushed hers. She held in a squeak and felt the need for a drink. She carefully lifted the glass, as it was still quite full. She watched the edge of the liquid dance and dare to spill over the edge. The glass touched her lips and she sipped. At first it was nice. It smelled and tasted lightly of olives. Then the alcohol hit the back of her tongue. She flinched back and pulled the drink away. She coughed and shook her head.

"That's strong! That's just a shot of vodka!" She heaved, eyes shutting tight.

"You watched me make it. What did you think it would taste like?" Freed laughed, but something in his tone made her feel like he knew what her reaction would be.

"I don't know! Something…I don't know!" She turned to face him. "That is JUST vodka."

He smiled and dropped strawberries into the blender.

"No no no." he looked up at her and caught her eye. "It's **_fancy_** vodka."

She scrunched her face up at him in a playfully annoyed look. He didn't bother to hide how funny he thought it was.

"You're still watching, aren't you?" he was serious again.

She stood up straight.

"Yep!"

He nodded. "Good. Ice. Fresh strawberries. I like to add something to sweeten it up a bit, a syrup or sugar of some sort. And Red grenadine for color."

She watched the red flare up when he hit the switch. It consumed the ice, and the strawberries leaving a collective creamy mass. He grabbed two more tall glasses and added rum to the bottom before pouring in the filling. A cut strawberry on top of each and a straw and he announced them done.

"Take this one to Evergreen. We are done for now." He handed them both to her.

"What about Laxus and Bickslow?" She asked curiously and sipped on the drink in her right hand.

He shot his eyes over to both and gave them a flat look.

"Those two prefer shots. Every now and again I can talk them into a cocktail but mostly they take it straight. It's boring." He waved them off. "Laxus is the worst. He drinks whiskey." Freed scrunched his nose up in disgust, stacking two clear shot glasses together.

"I heard that."

They both looked up to see Laxus half turned in his chair to face them. He eyed Freed and glared hard.

"Oh no. I should have said it softer." Freed's tone was comically flat, he had his brows raised completely unimpressed with the sharp eyes locked on him. "Whiskey is disgusting alone. Let me make you a whiskey sour?"

"No." Laxus barked, turning back around.

"An old fashioned?" Freed persisted.

Again. "No."

Freed eyed him, smirk stretching.

"A Manhattan?"

"HELL no!" Laxus snapped back stronger this time. "Whisky, Justine! In a glass with ice."

Freed's shoulders fell but he hadn't expected to get his way.

"Want to talk about a glorified shot…" he grabbed up a stout tumbler, dunked it in the ice, and poured it half way with whiskey. He held it up, very unimpressed.

Lucy curled her lips to prevent herself from laughing at his charmingly comical face. She grabbed her glasses up and swayed over to Evergreen, offering her the fuller of the two.

Freed walked in with his glass in one hand, Laxus' in the other, as well as the bottle of whiskey. He handed the drink over, then passed the bottle to Bickslow.

"You can have that one. We have more." He told him before sitting on the couch, opposite Lucy who was tucked into the other end.

He sipped his drink and looked Laxus over.

"So Lucy." Laxus sat back with his drink. "Looks like you fell into this lot pretty well." He flicked hand over the other three in the room. "How did that happen?"

"Oh, Laxus it's been so nice! Lucy was the one who suggested we come looking for you!" Evergreen interjected excitedly.

Lucy felt her heart fluff up as she took her seat in a big arm chair. She curled her feet up under her, and grabbed the end of her straw with her fingers delicately, bringing it to her lip

"Yeah man! We ran into her and Natsu by chance! She really thought we should bring you back home!" Bickslow agreed and threw back his mask.

Freed nodded when Laxus looked over at him for confirmation.

Laxus pulled his cup to his lips and took a sip, all the while eyeing the group.

"Damn. Wouldn't have thought that's how it would go. I figured you three had guilted her into coming to find me. Color me surprised." He swirled his drink.

Freed was the first to notice the parallels in the two. It was hard for him not to. Laxus sat slightly slumped, legs spread, one hand lazily laid on the armrest, the other holding up his glass, slowly swirling it in place. Lucy sat mostly upright, feet tucked under her. The end of her glass rested on her legs, and both hands cupped the sides.

"This is really delicious by the way Freed. Where did you learn to make drinks?" She didn't want the attention to stay on her.

"Hmm? Oh. I don't know that much, Lucy," He assured her. "I know how to make the drinks we like." He gestured his free hand around the room. ", along with a few others. Otherwise, just follow recipe books. It's not that admirable."

Bickslow sat back in his chair and peeled his mask back. His hair was slick to his head from the tight cap so he lifted his hand and feathered it through the blue strands to pick them back up and make them stick up in every direction.

"You'll have to get used to that Lucy. Freed is always selling himself short." He pressed his thumb to one side of the whiskey bottle's cap, and then launched his hand forward like he was whipping a sick trick on a Beyblade. The cap flew off wildly and bounced on the ground before rolling under the couch. Bickslow took a swig from the bottle and his posture loosened up. "He can't take a compliment for anything!"

Freed closed his eyes, a gentle smile rested on his lips. His shoulders were squared and he sat up straight.

"I simply don't believe it's deserved. It's my duty to provide for my team." He insisted.

Lucy laughed, the two members of his legion scoffed.

"I wish Natsu would pick up on taking care of _our_ team. It seems like we get into trouble more than anything else." She slumped over and kicked one leg out to hang over the seat of the chair.

Freed smiled stretched.

"It's just the age, Lucy. Today the Thunder Legion is a well-maintained machine. We know each other's strengths, weaknesses, phobias, favorite color." He snorted at the end. "But it's not something that came naturally…at least not to me." He looked to his friends to correct him.

Bickslow shook his head.

"Nah. I agree. At first, I couldn't stand you!" He howled and sat forward. "I hung around you just to annoy you!"

Freed's brows raised, but he wasn't surprised. He held his glass just before his lips.

"And annoy me you did." He took a sip.

Bickslow looked at Lucy.

"You wouldn't believe what a tight ass he was when we were kids. You think it's bad now? HA!" he threw his head back at the laugh. "No way! Nothing compared to what he used to be."

Lucy thought Freed would be fuming, but he nodded instead.

"I will admit, you have taught me to mellow out quite a bit." He relented. "But I don't think you would be able to take _anything_ seriously if I hadn't come along. Life and death would hold no weight to you. It would all just be some silly game. A stage to pass or fail without consequence."

Bickslow nodded, eyes going firmer. His gaze fell and he ran his hands through his hair again.

"Yeah…I can drink to that." He raised his bottle.

Freed rolled his eyes but lifted his as well. They both took a heavy drink.

"You two have always been meant to be friends." Evergreen's voice was smooth.

She scanned over the two men and ran her finger around the rim of her cup. She picked her feet up and laid them to the side on the couch.

"Completely different, but cut from the same material."

Lucy felt like she shouldn't be listening but it was nice to hear more about them. She had no idea what their lives were like and right now she was getting a peek at it.

"Two sides of the same coin." Freed nodded in agreeance.

Bickslow only hummed and tipped the bottle up again.

"What about you?" Lucy asked Evergreen, only to get a confused look in return. "How did you meet the boys?" She clarified.

Laxus snorted.

"Puberty." He shot off quickly.

Lucy frowned at him knowing whatever he meant couldn't be nice, but she heard Bickslow crack a chuckle. Freed was giving Laxus the same hard look but there was very little power behind it.

"You pig." Evergreen simply rolled her eyes. She wasn't bothered. "Is that really what it was?" She looked at Freed, then Laxus, and lastly Bickslow.

Freed took a breath and kept his eyes away from her.

"I wish I could say it wasn't" He mumbled just loud enough for them to hear. "At least from their end. My intentions were always pure."

Laxus snorted hard and rolled his eyes.

"Three guys running around with a girl who didn't know about bras and had tits like cantaloupes were stuffed down her shirt? Yes Evergreen. Puberty is why we tolerated you." Laxus nodded firmly.

Lucy's jaw dropped and she shot a sound of disgust at him.

"How can you talk to one of your friends that way!" She insisted in a flash of real anger.

"Calm down blondie." Laxus raised a hand, not bothered by her snapping voice. "I'm just telling the truth. We were there BOYS. We didn't fit in with Ever at that age. We hung around her because of her tits." He shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'm not damn glad we did now. I was a young stupid idiot. Today if anyone made a crack about her tits in front of me today I would crack their damn skull." He laughed, pride instead of shame echoing through it.

The sound shocked Lucy. It was loud, pounding, but not terrifying. It…he sounded happy. It was oddly nice.

Evergreen sighed but nodded.

"It's alright Lucy. Laxus is always like that. He can't sugarcoat anything." She sipped her drink. "But you know…I do wonder sometimes….boys."

They all looked at her.

"I wonder if any of you still have sexual thoughts about me today?" She purred, completely unashamed, her lips finding the straw to her drink.

Freed physically leaned away. He looked like he wanted to cover his ears but instead he drank.

Laxus scrunched his nose and shook his head.

"Are you sick? You're like my sister!" He rejected, voice loud and firm.

Bickslow's brows narrowed and he pursed his lips.

"Ah…Laxus."

The blond looked at him.

"I hate to be 'that guy' but….didn't you actually want to date Lucy at one point?"

The room went silent. Confusion hit Laxus like a bus, brows going tight, eyes focusing forward.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Laxus snapped at him, eyes knitting together.

Bickslow's grin stretched. Oh, he loved being 'that guy'.

"Remember? When Phantom Lord was smashing up the guild. You said something along the lines of 'sure I'll come help Mira, as long as you convince Lucy to become my woman!' So…ya know. Maybe sisters aren't off of the table?"

Laxus' jaw dropped and he was thinking back. Freed had his lips tight, eyes closed. Lucy wouldn't have minded turning into mist then and there. Dissipating into the air completely.

"Bickslow why do you always have to make things weird!" Evergreen flew up with a pillow in one hand, drink in the other. She whapped him hard over the head making him burst out in giggling laughs.

"I'm sorry baby! I'm SORRY!" he threw his hands and feet up to protect him from the plush, but brutal attack.

Lucy felt stiff in her place, a hot blush on her cheeks. Had Laxus really…. thought of her that way? If she didn't want to think of him as a big creep…but….eww!

Laxus sat in his place staring hard at the edge of the coffee table. He tried to think back, and remember if he had said that. Why would he SAY that?

"Bickslow you're a sick fuck!" he snapped. "I didn't even remember that. You're right though. Damn." He shook his head and growled.

"Evergreen! STOP!" Bickslow heaved through his laughs.

"Evergreen he's had enough." Freed called her off.

She pulled back, but not without one last smack. She sat down in a huff.

"Why do you like to ruin things!" She grumbled at him, crossing her arms.

"I'm not _trying_ to!" Bickslow sat up. "It's just who I am!"

Laxus sighed and shrugged.

"Alright. I'll admit it. Lucy's hot as fuck." He hummed.

Lucy cringed and now she wanted to cover her ears. She picked her drink up and slugged down cold ice until the taste of rum started to rub on her tastebuds.

"Laxus." Freed sighed and threw his head down. "What did you just say?"

"I'm not done." He defended. "She's hot. But I never had a _sexual_ thought about her. I mean I didn't even remember I said that! I was probably just being a jackass." He admitted with a shrug.

"At least you're aware of it." Freed sat back rocking his head back and forth. He was searching to find the will to live after Laxus' blunt statement.

"Yeah." Laxus nodded. "Point is, now I've just got two hot ass sisters to smack men away from." He sighed like it was just more work thrown in front of him. "Seriously, give me a break. One was enough. I got to keep my eye on Elfman, and now Natsu too?"

"What!" Lucy nearly shot out of her seat. "Excuse me! I am not with Natsu!"

Laxus looked forward. He studied her like she was something completely new. Something he couldn't understand even if he wanted to.

"I hope to Mavis you aren't. That little fire fuck doesn't know his nuts from a bag of salt. But that doesn't mean he isn't ever gonna wanna be with you. I'll be damned if some fire breather ever crosses the line with you." He cracked his knuckles with his thumb, the thought of punching that kids face in all too easy on his mind.

Lucy frowned but she felt the creepy crawlies of Laxus previous admission fading away. He wouldn't seriously try and protect her? He was just teasing…or just saying it to…be a dick? To cover up and make excuses? She couldn't be sure…but for whatever reason it was better than thinking he would come onto her.

"Natsu is not like that." She defended.

Laxus lifted his brows and rolled his eyes. "Sure he isn't."

She ignored him, focusing on Evergreen. "You and Elfman?" She asked.

Evergreen's face went red and she tightened up.

"NO! Never! Laxus is delusional." She insisted with a squeak in her voice.

"Delusional." Freed repeated the word, all with a jesting anguish in his voice. "Are you sure about that Evergreen?" He asked her.

She looked at him, appalled that he would question her. She crossed her arms tight and sat up straight.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was harsh, and riddled with challenge.

"He means is we are surprised Elfman hasn't come to us to ask for your hand in marriage yet." Bickslow shot back.

She clicked her teeth and shook her head.

"That will NEVER happen!" she crossed her legs with a 'hmpf' and snapped her head away from them.

Almost in sync with each other the boys rolled their eyes.

"Yeah. Sure." Laxus grumbled back. "Anyone else drinking to that blatant denial?"

At the same time Freed and Bickslow raised their glass.

"Hear, hear!" Freed chimed, earning a little kick from Evergreen as he finished his glass.

"You guys are jerks!" Evergreen crossed her arms tight and turned away from them.

Laxus laughed and swirled his drink.

"It's alright Ever. We all approve. He's a good guy." He tried to ease her down. "I'm still gunna watch him though. Any man can get too…handsy."

"Oh yes. I can't wait to catch them in the act. Promiscuous hand holding. Oh la la." Freed fanned himself playfully, and made the room laugh.

Laxus' brows tightened when he passed him.

"You finished that pretty fast." He noticed out loud.

Freed walked into the kitchen and Lucy could see him adding the same ingredients to the shaker as the previous time.

"I'll remind you that I am technically on vacation."

Laxus turned away and nodded, raising his own drink.

"Guess I can't fight ya there. Cheers."

Freed raised his hand in the next room but it wasn't the martini glass in his hand. Instead a little plain shot glass.

"Cheers." He returned the comment, and tossed the shot back.

All at once Bickslow shot up and started to cheer like mad. Evergreen was not as loud but joined him. Laxus snapped around to see what they were going nuts over and when he noticed for himself, he started to clap his hand on the arm chair in the most muted of the cheers.

Lucy jumped and her eyes darted over all of them, not sure what to make of it. She looked to Freed for the answer, but he was focused on making his drink.

Lucy sank down into her chair. She started to notice that each sip of her drink weighed down on her body exactly as if someone were stacking light weights on her. She felt saggy, and her balance was way off, which encouraged her to stay in her chair. The group was asking Laxus what he had been doing on his travel and he explained all and all it hadn't been very exciting. It sounded like he was just wandering aimlessly. Her mind had been wandering off until she heard a familiar name. Her families name.

He explained that he had been passing through this town and overheard someone talking about the Heartfilia Estate, and what they planned to do with it. That reminded Lucy that her father had lost the property. It solidified that the Heartfilia's had fallen from grace. Their position was tarnished beyond repair. Laxus hadn't stayed long enough to find out what would become of the estate, but had decided if he were passing through it would be worth the steps to go and visit the home. He may as well see his mother's final resting place at least once. He explained it quickly, and kept his drink close to his mouth the entire time. Lucy knew he was trying to make it seem like less worth of worry than it was. It was working on the drinking crowd.

She pinched her straw and gave it a suck, only to hear a dissatisfying slurrpy guggle trapped at the bottom of her cup. She pulled back to see red, juicy speckles stuck to the edge around her glass and nothing more. She lifted her head and her glass.

"Freed." She called.

He wasn't fast to notice the glass but it clicked and he stood up. "Of course." He tossed the rest of his drink back, knowing if he were going to make another it would only be smart to top himself off.

Laxus frowned and lifted his brow. "Are you _sure_ you want to suck it down that fast Freed?"

Freed looked at him. "I haven't had that many. I feel fine." There was a defensiveness in his voice that even Lucy picked up on.

"Alright." Laxus lifted his hand and gave in, a hint of reluctance. "Should I make you another one while I'm up?" He stood and leaned across the table to take Lucy's. She stretched to hand it over.

Freed looked at him for a long minute, then sat back down.

"Just half a glass of vodka and the jar of olives."

"You want the olives in the glass?" Laxus lifted the martini glass questioningly. "It won't fit."

"No~!" Freed's head lulled to the side. "I would like my drink, as well as the entire jar of olives, in the jar, and in my hand. Please and thank you."

Laxus snapped his head back and nodded. A low laugh leaving his chest.

"Oh~ Gocha." He stood up and went back into the kitchen area.

Freed stood and stretched his heavy arms. He moved a few steps to be near the middle of the couch before flopping back-first on it. He bounced as he hit the cushions. He lifted his head and brought his hands up to fan his long hair over Evergreen's lap. She lifted her hands up quickly.

"Play with my hair." He hummed, eyes closed, hands crossing over his stomach.

Evergreen tsked and stood up almost instantly.

"I am going get Laxus to blend me another drink while he's at it. Sorry but you're out of luck." She sang at the end and clicked across the floor.

He jutted his bottom lip out and kicked his feet up onto the arm at the end of the couch.

"Tragic. All I do for you three, and I get nothing in return." He huffed to himself, throwing his head to the side dramatically.

Lucy laughed and stood.

"I will." She said and picked his hair up before sitting.

She felt her heart pump faster but the rum made it easy to ignore.

She started at his scalp, scratching her nails town towards the back of his head. When she reached her knee, she pet down his long strands. When she started back at the top of his head she heard low 'mmm' that made her legs close tight and a lump grow in her throat. He was so lovely even like this. Slightly buzzed and unfocused. She had never thought she would see this side of Freed. So incredibly relaxed and almost…silly? She kept petting and scratching. She brushed his bangs off of his brow and exposed his entire face. Clean, and narrow at the chin. Long lashes. She could see coming home to him, and he would greet her. Maybe a kiss on the cheek. She was sure he would like to read. They could sit on the couch and cuddle as they flipped the pages, not a word in the room. Just enough light to read the words and just enough cold to need a throw blanket.

She heard heavy feet stop next to them.

"Freed. Your drink." Laxus held it out to him.

He opened one eye.

"Oh!" he sat up quickly and placed it on the coffee table. He searched Laxus.

"And?" He asked looking up patiently.

Laxus smirked, his eyes rolling upwards for a beat. He pulled the jar out from behind his back.

"Here. Don't get sick on 'em."

Freed took the jar and tossed the lid onto the table.

"Hush. I won't." He promised and took a sip of the pure olive juice. He smacked his lips twice and laid back down. "mmm. Thank you."

Lucy went back to petting, and Freed popped an olive into his mouth.

"How far gone is he?" She asked Laxus, rising her brows at him.

"Not far." Freed was the one to answer.

Laxus tilted his head at his friend.

"Yeah. Not too far honestly. His ambitions are just down right now."

"Inhibitions." Freed corrected as Laxus retook his seat.

"What did I say?" Laxus squinted his eyes.

Freed huffed and shook his head.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Evergreen came back into the room, taking Lucy's previous seat.

"I'm surprised you're being so affectionate." She sat, sucking on a strawberry.

"Seriously." The corner of Laxus' lip lifted. "You two must be BFF's if you're letting her braid your hair.'

Freed nodded.

"Lucy is kind. She's actually a lot like you Laxus."

Both blonds blinked at him.

"Hua?" Laxus lifted his brow.

Lucy scoffed. "Laxus? Kind?" Lucy jabbed almost without fear.

Laxus looked up and glared at her but dropped the look quickly, making it more teasing than serious.

"It's true." Freed insisted. "She's ambitious, and she's stubborn." He popped another olive in his mouth. "One has to be, to hunt you down." He held an olive up.

Laxus lifted his upper lip in a sneer, then opened his mouth. Freed tossed the olive, and Laxus moved his head an inch to catch it.

Freed laughed and smiled at the success.

"I don't know what it is…" Freed went on, chewing while he thought.

Lucy kept her hands busy in his hair, all the while admiring his face.

"There's just something so…purely…honest about her. Something so worthy of trust that denying her of it feels wrong. Maybe it was just circumstance. She does remind me of you in ways though. The younger you…before your father."

Laxus' pinched his lips together and took another drink.

"Why don't ya' just keep him out of your mouth, Justine." He sighed.

Freed nodded.

"You're right." Freed paused, and his eyes drifted off somewhere.

Lucy's hands paused, and she was captured by him. He was noticing nothing and she only him.

The room was starting to stagnate and they could all feel it.

"I'm sorry."

Lucy stepped in before it could petrify them all. Laxus looked up at her, and waited for her to go on.

"I'm sorry you had such a bad father...or...maybe bad isn't the word." She pressed her lips together and took a large sip hoping it would create courage inside of her. She looked up at Laxus. "I... don't know what your childhood was like. But I'm sorry you don't want to talk about him...he must be a pretty bad guy. I'm sorry you had that and I had..." her eyes dropped. "her."

Laxus tore his eyes away. The stillness was returning, and Lucy was sure it would invade the light atmosphere. Everyone would go back to their rooms and their fun night would be ruined.

"It's not like it's your fault."

Freed's head turned when Laxus spoke. Lucy's lifted. He swirled his drink, ice clinking on the side.

"You didn't ask her to leave. You didn't make her. You didn't make 'him' who he is." his eyes tightened as he remembered his father. "You didn't do any of it...you were born after it was all over." His eyes closed and he shook his head. "So just shut up about it. Both of you. It's done with."

"Laxus." Bickslow leaned towards him and attempted to put a hand on his knee. Laxus very nearly kicked him, throwing his leg up onto the coffee table to block the affection.

"You're all making this bigger than it is! Let's have a good night alright? Fucking please?" he scanned the room. Everyone's eyes ducked away.

Lucy's met Freed's...and realized not 'everyone's' and scurried. He stared at Laxus with calm, examining eyes.

Then sat up.

"Where are you going?" Laxus turned his head to follow Freed was he crossed the room.

"I have to use the restroom, nosy." He answered and as he passed him he brushed his fingers through Laxus' hair, making the spikes pick up and point in the direction they were dragged.

Laxus watched him walk off, turning away before the bathroom door closed.

"I'm out again." Lucy's voice was not slurred but she knew it didn't sound natural.

Freed sat forward from his place on the floor.

"You're more of a lightweight than I expected. Apologies. I'm used to this crowd." He threw his hand up quick to gesture Evergreen and Bickslow who hadn't stopped laughing since their last shot, or at least that's what Lucy's fuzzy brain told her, then Laxus who was looking relatively normal, but seemed to have melted and become one with his chair.

Freed stood and scooped up her glass. It had gotten sticky from a few spills and drips, but he didn't seem to mind.

"You're good for another one." he hummed in a slow way.

He made his way to the counter.

"Careful there, Justine." Laxus had a hum in his voice. "Don't liquor up my sister. She's a delicate little princess."

His tone soured at the end, but Lucy was too buzzed to care about it.

"Oh, be quiet." Freed shrugged him off. "I'll make this one weaker. I'm just used to you three." he snorted like it was a joke. "And myself I guess."

"I just noticed that." Lucy spouted out loud.

"What?" Laxus asked back.

"You call him 'Justine' like that…why?" She couldn't help the smile on her face. It was…endearing.

Laxus didn't know how to answer at first.

"It's kinda…like an inside joke…I dunno. Like when you're scolding a little kid." He looked to the side.

Freed scoffed without looking up. "Yeah. That's what it is." He fiddled with something on the bar.

Lucy frowned. It sounded like something Laxus would say. Was Freed mocking him? And if so why? Maybe it was just part of the joke.

He lifted a shot glass filled to the brim to his lips and tossed it back.

The group cheered like they had before. This time Lucy joined in. She had learned quickly they all hooped like that every time he took a shot, which apparently was not often. Evergreen had brought it up on his second that he didn't usually take shots. For whatever reason, tonight was different for him.

He shook his head and put the glass down.

"I hate whiskey." He hacked before turning the mini blender on to shred the ice.

When the noise died down Laxus spoke up.

"Then stay out of it pretty boy. Leave it to the big dogs. You can suck ice with the girls, and I'll even pay for all of ya to get your nails done. Gotta keep my women pretty don't I?"

Freed rolled his eyes and stepped over Laxus' chair to glare down at him.

Laxus looked up to meet his eyes.

"What? You gunna kill me? You gunna attack me?" He challenged.

"No. I'll just let you choke on your own vomit tonight." He reached forward, and pet his fingers down Laxus' cheek. "The cleaning service will find you tomorrow and I'll be done with your shitty comments." He purred sweetly.

Bickslow busted out laughing, and Evergreen was right alongside him. Lucy felt herself huff and tried to cover her own giggles.

It made Freed break, the cold scowl switching to an almost bashful smile.

"Yeah yeah yeah." Laxus laughed with them.

Freed walked back to the counter and finished off Lucy's drink.

"Okay but while you're up, turn the music up just a bit."

Freed scoffed.

"No, I'm having an enjoyable time talking to everyone." He denied, and plopped a new straw in the drink.

"Just a little Freed." Laxus repeated, kicking his feet out in front of him.

Freed sighed and leaned over to turn the dial up. The music that had been a hum in the background rose, not high enough to cover anyone's voice. He didn't let it rise much, just enough for the group to hear the words.

Freed came back to the coffee table with the drink which he slid over to Lucy, and the bottle of whiskey.

Laxus leaned forward to pick it up and he poured himself a shot. Lucy watched him throw it back, and tap the glass back on the table.

A low rumble started in the pit of his chest, and dissipated quickly. "Okay your turn." He poured another shot and slid the glass towards the end of the table.

It clinked against Lucy's Daiquiri.

She sat up and pulled her feet into the chair.

"What?! Me?" She squeaked.

He nodded.

"It won't kill ya. If you're anything like me, it will save you. Now pinch your nose and don't taste it."

"Don't taste it?" She repeated. "That doesn't make any since!"

"Laxus, stop. Don't make her drink if she doesn't want to." Freed stood and reached over the table for the glass.

Lucy threw her hand out quickly to stop his.

Bickslow and Evergreen laughed, then whispered. Laxus smirked.

"Let the girl have it." Evergreen's voice was a permanent drunken hum at this point. It sounded like she was constantly coming on to the whole room. She hung on Bickslow like her spine had turned into jelly, and other than wrapping a lose arm around her, he didn't seem to notice.

"It's okay." Lucy admitted.

Freed raised his stretched hand in surrender and sat back down.

"By all means." he agreed and stretched a black band on his wrist. He threw his hair up into a messy bun quickly and leaned back in his place. "But swallow it quickly. It's nasty stuff to shoot like this." He grimaced for her.

She laughed nervously and lifted the cup, nestling back into her seat. She eyed the brown liquid and raised it up to her nose. She sniffed and for a flash her face matched Freed's.

"Does it taste as bad as it smells?" She asked the rune mage.

He nodded.

"Worse actually." he admitted. "And it burns. Swallow it quickly." He repeated.

Laxus was watching her, but she was focused on her task.

She nodded, lined the glass to her lips, and opened her mouth. She steadied herself before tossing her head and the cup back.

A little too fast. Some of the drink splashed out and hit the outside of her lips. A strong, hard taste washed over her tongue and she could swear it was burning her. For a beat, she couldn't make her throat work, and it sat on the back of her tongue. She forced a swallow and it slugged leaving her taste buds with what she assumed the bottom of a dirty, rusted spoon would taste like, only to contort into a sickeningly sweet aftertaste. She sat up with a pained look and growled at the taste. She threw the cup down and snatched up her icy drink to cover the taste. She sucked it down until it quelled the lurching sensation in her stomach. The aftertaste wasn't gone, but subdued. When she set it down she licked over her lips only to taste it all again.

The group laughed as she jumped again for her drink. All but Freed who gave her an amused, but pitying look.

"How do you drink that stuff?" She coughed around her hand. "You both make it look easy." She pouted.

"You'll realize how in a few seconds. That stuff will hit your stomach and nothing will bother you for a good while." he reached forward and picked up the shot glass. He saw a sizable ring she left in the bottom and stuck his tongue out, pouring the last of it onto his tongue. He licked his lips and stretched his arms before plopping back into his seat.

"Feel that burn in your belly?" He asked her, his eyes focused as he poured another drink.

She focused on her stomach, then nodded.

"It's good shit hua?" he smirked.

"Figure that's what Natsu's talking about all the time?" Bickslow piped up.

Freed snorted and Laxus threw his head back.

"Maybe. Hell, I never wanna see that kid drunk. Hes gotta be a real fucking wild card." Laxus smiled wide. It was clear he wasn't sober. He really let himself grin now, ear to ear.

Lucy had noticed that his eyebrows never really left the angled, angry shape she knew them in. He had a permanent scowl on his face. It would soften, but never lift.

Lucy's focus bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball being volleyed over the net. For a second it was here, and in a flash, it was gone. She was following the conversation but wasn't thinking about her answers. She was thinking about Freed. She was thinking about long soft green hair which had found its way back into her lap. It was silky and soft and so far, she hadn't found one tangle. She didn't feel like she could look at Freed right now. She would end up smiling like an idiot. Her head was light. Her thoughts floating around her. She could feel his warmth. She could imagine the dark black beauty speck under his deep eyes. Thought of his face, and his smile. She closed her eyes.

"Freed Justine. I love you and only you. You are the light in my heart. You are the laugh in my soul. You're everything to me!" She declared boldly, head swaying in place.

He stared up at her, in complete shock, those lovely eyes blinking. His lips parted. He would declare the same, and hug her. His lips. They would hit hers. In front of his friends. They would be soft, hot, and taste lightly like olives.

Of course, she didn't say that. She never could. She couldn't find the nerve to have a regular conversation with her brother. There was no way she could confess to his best friend. Even if the alcohol was telling her what a promising idea it was.

She heard Bickslow laugh, and pulled herself out of her own drunken', dizzy thoughts.

"You alright baby?" He was leaning forward to get a better look at her.

She nodded and tried to think of an answer, but the only response she could think of was 'rootin' tootin'' and she didn't want to say that out loud. She sat with her mouth open, nothing coming out except a hiccup.

Freed was the first to laugh, then Laxus.

"She's so gone." Laxus hummed. "that hard alcohol. Man. I should have told her to take two."

Bickslow batted his hand at him. "She's fine. Just a little silly. Nothing wrong with that. I should catch up honestly." With that he raised his bottle and went to raid the kitchen for a snack.

When she looked down, Freed was looking up at her. She jumped and her eyes darted to each side. Her lips went tight and she covered her nose.

"Stop! You can probably see right up my nose! Gross!"

Freed snorted and shook his head.

"I wasn't if that makes you feel any better."

She pinched her lips together, but supposed it did. She blushed and had to take a breath. She felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest, or beat so quickly that it would eventually stop. She brushed her hair behind her ear.

"What ARE you staring at then?" She asked, a pout intertwined with her voice.

Freed let out one breathy laugh and then sat up.

"You."

The word made her spine tingle. She turned to face him and her mouth fell when she saw the color of his eyes. The stories he could tell. The life he had lived. She wanted to know it all.

"You don't favor each other much. I guess Laxus got Ivan's looks..."

Her face fell.

"Hua?" her head fell to the side.

Freed's smile stretched. "You look very much like your mother. Laxus...hardly at all."

He reached up and her eyes widened. His hand was on her cheek, and he leaned forward just an inch.

"It's so strange..."

She couldn't respond. Her heart was drumming too hard in her ears to think of any words.

"You have brown eyes. Your mother had brown eyes. Ivan had...black eyes...Makarov deep brown or black..." he turned and pulled away from Lucy.

She could breathe again.

"Where did you get those blue eyes?" Freed asked and tilted his head at Laxus.

The dragon man lifted a brow.

"Hua? Beats me. Far as I know I'm the first blue eyed Dreyar. Think my granddad...Yuri...he had green. Maybe his wife had blue and I somehow got 'em?"

Freed tightened his brows.

"Unlikely." He dismissed.

Laxus only shrugged.

"Then I dunno what to tell ya."

"Oh oh oh Laxus!" Bickslow rushed and jumped over the island separating the kitchen from the living room.

He stumbled and whipped around to be in front of Laxus and waved his hand at his friend catching everyone's attention.

He flailed his arm at the Music pod " Scaramouche! Scaramouche! will you do the Fandango."

The Legion lit up when they realized what song had been playing. All at once in perfect unison they chanted

"Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning!"

Bickslow shot up "Galileo!"

Freed followed and repeated the word lower " Galileo"

Evergreen stood and joined them to sing. " Galileo figaro magnificcooohhhhhh!"

They all looked to Laxus at the same time, but it was the recording that added in the next line.

"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me."

They all rushed forward and surrounded his chair, nearly tipping it over. Laxus clung to the arms like a cat digging his nails into the ground.

"He's just a poor boy from a poor family! Spare him his life from this monstrosity!" They sang and laughed, shoving Laxus' shoulders.

Lucy must have been the most surprised person in the room, because Laxus looked like was kicking himself for not expecting this himself. He also was doing his best to keep a smile off his face.

"Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?" Laxus was grumbling more than singing, looking away and holding back something.

"Bismillah! No, we will not let you go!" The group only sang louder.

"Let him go" Evergreen sang.

" Bismillah! We will not let you go" The boys chanted.

"Let him go"

" Bismillah! We will not let you go."

"Let him go

" Bismillah! We will not let you go"

"Let him go

"Bismillah! We will not let you go"

They repeated in the same fashion.

"Let me go!" Laxus snapped loudly, and the group noticed they had rocked his cha onto its back legs.

" Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" They all dropped him on the last word. "Oh mamma mia, mamma mia! Mama mia, let me go!"

Lucy was trying to hold back her laughs now, but something caught her.

Laxus actually started to sing.

"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me." his voice was powerful and deep in his chest, and whatever he was holding back was gone.

As the music kicked up Laxus loosened to it. The brute was still there but maybe a beast really could be contented with music. He rocked his head to the beat of the music and just as he chorus came back he stood.

"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?" He leaned forward and gave a glare to his group. "So you think you can love me and leave me to die?" His hand went to his chest and he smiled as he sang. "Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby! Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!"

Lucy was surprised with how…good he was. His voice was really nice to listen to. Not trained like celebrities…but still very nice.

The entire group moved and swayed in their own way to the song, and Lucy found herself rocking softly to the music. She was too captured everyone else, wondering if this was just a drunken hallucination. It was….new, to see Laxus smiling, dancing, singing, with his friends. He was a completely different person. It was like he had forgotten Lucy was here all together.

The music started to slow and everyone returned to their seats, enjoying the last of the moment.

"Nothing really matters, anyone can see." Laxus looked down, completely focused on the music. "Nothing really matters. Nothing really matters to me~."

"Any way the wind blows." The Legion finished softly and the last points of the piano could be heard before it drifted into silence.

They sat there for a moment, Lucy seeing the breathless happiness on each of their faces.

"You guys are fucking nerds," Laxus added bluntly, picked up his shot off the counter, and tossed it back.

Evergreen sputtered out a laugh. Everyone was drunk enough not to be embarrassed.

Freed bobbed his head back and forth as if he were considering they could BE the biggest nerds in current existence.

"You should si~ng for us." He told him.

Laxus lifted a brow at him, then shook his head.

"Nah. Not drunk enough for that yet." he refused lightly.

Freed moved from his spot and sat on the wide arm of Laxus' chair.

"You should though... " He insisted now, trying to create a seriousness in his voice.

Laxus gave an amused huff and tapped at the screen to his sound pod.

"You got a lot of ideas about what I should do." He hummed. "I'll sing ya a song but you won't like it."

He clicked on a song a and a drum started it off, followed by a piano playing a plucky beat. Lucy didn't know the song. It sounded MUCH older and she assumed that's why she hadn't heard it before..

"Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down, Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around." Laxus sang along with the song.

Freed clicked his tongue and made a disappointed and disgusted face.

"I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same. I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name. They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer." Laxus started to laugh and stood up. "What an ugly face there Freed." He grabbed his hands and drug him up to his feet. "Don't like this song?"

Freed gave him a look.

"Not right now I don't." he admitted openly.

Laxus only laughed harder.

"Oh well there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right. And Janie is the girl with that I'll be with tonight. And when she asks me which one I love the best. I tear open my shirt I got Rosie on my chest. 'Cause I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer. I roam around around around~" He kept singing, all the while taunting Freed, snapping his fingers to the beat.

The green haired mage rolled his eyes.

"Okay shut up." He sighed. He tried to move past Laxus to take a proper seat. "I regret asking."

Light irritation was growing into real annoyance quickly on his face, and Laxus must have seen it, because he grabbed Freed quick before he could sit down.

"Oh stop." He sighed and took his hands.

Lucy's brows raised as one stayed in place and the other went to his hip. He moved Freed and Freed knew where to go. It was reluctant but in that one sweeping movement they were dancing together.

"I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around

I'm never in one place I roam from town to town

And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl, yeah

I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world"

Laxus picked back up, singing with the beat. Freed loosened up as the dance became more natural, the two swinging to one side and snapping back to the other. Their feet didn't smack together and for two drunk guys they stayed up well. When the song kicked up their steps became more elaborate. Faster. Their feet didn't bump once. With the way they moved in perfect time with each other she knew this couldn't have been their first time dancing together. Freed started to smile, and laugh, and shake his head in bashful amusement. She could hear him quietly call Laxus a 'big idiot', but the slayer didn't care. He only focused on Freed, on the steps, on the music. Lucy wasn't on his mind, Evergreen and Bickslow may as well have not been in the room. For that moment, it was Laxus and Freed.

Watching them was entertaining and light hearted. Lucy watched when Laxus spun Freed, and the perfect way he reacted to small signals. She watched their eyes, and their bodies bump. Her heart started to grow, but not in the way she expected. Every fluttering feeling, they stirred was like bags of sand filling up while tied to her heart. It was dragging her down. She felt her eyes water, and each breath became a task. Her hand went over her heart and clutched her shirt. She wasn't sure if her body was shaking or not. A sob broke through her throat and she clapped her hand over it. Hot tears dripped down her cheeks. She sniffed and her eyes darted to Evergreen and Bickslow. They sat close together and were too busy talking to notice her. Good. She hadn't spoiled everything. She sucked up snot and wiped her eyes. She told herself to calm down but it made everything swell faster. She closed her eyes tight and gulped down a few deep breaths, knowing the booze had to be helping her lose control.

Evergreen looked up when they heard the bathroom door close. She snapped her head to Lucy's chair, but she was gone.

Bickslow looked as well, and frowned. They looked at each other.

"She must have had to pee." He shrugged.

Lucy sat back in her chair. Collected. It didn't take her long once she got some cold water on her face. She was back before the song could finish but just barely.

Laxus' arms moved tighter around Freed, and the smaller man rested his head on the perfectly placed shoulder in front of him. His eyes were resting, just barely open, and a soft smile stayed on his face. He jolted as a hiccup ran up through his throat. Their feet clunked together and as the song ended their bodies slowed. Freed was hanging onto Laxus, his hands tight claws in the back of his shirt.

"Are you gonna fall over? How far gone are ya?" Laxus asked and tilted Freed's head up, and examined his eyes.

Freed closed them and held Laxus' wrists, moving his face further into his palm.

"Freed…" Laxus coaxed.

Freed's face fell. He closed his eyes tight and his shoulders stiffened.

Laxus frowned and moved closer. "Freed?"

Lucy saw Freed's chest hike as he took a deeper breath. He jolted back in an instant. The look he gave Laxus made her shiver. His blue eyes went stone cold.

"Fuck you." He snapped firmly.

Laxus' eyes went wide.

No one said anything.

Freed turned and hugged his arms. He moved for the glass door leading to the porch.

They all heard it open, then snap shut. Laxus blinked, and Lucy looked up at him.

"Is…he usually like that when he drinks?" she asked Evergreen, and turned her attention to her.

The woman watched the door, eyes clouded.

"No."


	9. Speaking, Heartbreaking, Rejuvenating

Laxus stared forward, eyes wide but brows narrow and stiff, attention locked on the sliding door. He shifted when he realized everyone's attention was on him. He half turned to face them and opened his mouth to speak, but after a pause he closed it again.

His jaw locked up and his face went hot. He was as shocked as anyone else by the snap reaction, but now he knew what they expected. He was supposed to know where it had come from, and how to fix it.

Laxus sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. He studied the door. He didn't say anything when he started forward. He threw the door back and took a heavy step, only for his body to be flattened against nothing. He bounced backwards and purple letters sprung up from the floor. They glittered and stood razor thin in the threshold. Laxus slapped his hand over his nose that had taken the most of the impact, eyes shutting tight.

"Damn it Freed!" Laxus yelled, and threw his free hand into a fist that slammed against the wall. He glared through the clutter of rune letters to see Freed lift his brows and point to his ear, indicating he couldn't hear. He turned around and leaned on the railing of the balcony with crossed arms.

Laxus stepped forward like he was going to have a brawl with the runes before him but once he squared up to it. He reminded himself how pointless that would be. He gave it a snarl of disgust and whipped around.

"Fine. Live out there for all I care. Asshole." he barked and stomped into the kitchen. He snatched an unopened bottle of whiskey and whipped the cap at the sink. It clattered against the metal and rolled flat. He threw it back, no shot glasses, no chaser.

Evergreen tightened her lips and looked towards the ground.

"What's going on?" Her voice was tight.

The way she snapped the words told Lucy that everyone was on the same page. No one wanted to 'blame' Laxus, but no one could come up with a reason Freed would curse at him without cause. Not even if he were drinking would he act so irrationally.

"Beat it." Laxus snarled at her, moving to part of the kitchen furthest from the glass door. He took a longer swig from the bottle.

Evergreen sucked in a breath and snapped her head away from him. There was so much she wanted to say to him in that moment, and nearly all of it she would regret in one way or another. They all hated it when he pushed them away, it got insulting an infuriating. Trying to convince him of anything was like telling a wall to move out of your way. The only one who ever made any ground with that was outside avoiding him at all costs.

"Come on baby." Bickslow kept his voice low, and unchallenging. He put a hand on her back and waited for Evergreen to move. It took a moment, but eventually she resigned and stood. It was pointless to reach out to him.

"Right" she nodded. "Come on Lucy." She beckoned and the two started to walk.

When Lucy didn't stand they stopped. Bickslow turned and waited.

"I want to try to talk to him." She nodded to the doorway.

Evergreen sighed and stood taller.

"You may not be used to being around people like this, but talking is usually a lost cause. It will be better for everyone if we let it be." They were stubborn and booze only made it stronger.

Lucy nodded.

"You're probably right. I guess I'll have to learn that the hard way though." she kept her ground and noticed she wasn't second guessing herself for once. "I'll see you in the morning."

Bix put his hand on Evergreen's shoulder. They had both been through this routine before. Consoling drunk friends was just something that came about with age, and it was certainly something you learned to avoid the more you attempted it.

"Can't pull her away if she doesn't want to go. Come on Ever." he insisted.

The fae woman gave her one last worried glance before relented. The pair paused one more time at the door.

"If anything happens, we are in room 305. You can come and talk to us if you need to." She offered.

Lucy nodded, her eyes flashing to Laxus.

He looked up, and leaned against the counters. He looked like he had been punched in the gut. Sad, almost sick. Not like a man ready to fight.

"It will be okay. Nothing is going to happen." Lucy promised them.

Bickslow gave her a doubting look, then opened the door.

"Night." Was the last thing he called over his shoulder.

Evergreen slipped through the door, and Lucy was left alone with a once raging lighting god, and a now pissy rune mage.

She took a breath and smoothed her shirt with her hands. When she felt stable she rose, and felt her stomach stay where it was. Her head swirled. She closed her eyes. Drunk Lucy wasn't who either of them needed. She scolded herself to focus before moving.

"He's not gunna let you out there." Laxus warned her as she lined up with the purple wall.

She looked at it. She wished she could read the foreign words, but she may as well have been looking at hieroglyphics. Worse because there weren't fun animal shapes.

"I don't think it's me he's trying to keep out." In any other situation, the booze probably would have convinced her that it would be a good idea to sound a little sassy right then, but her biting words flowed carefully.

She turned.

They stood directly in front of each other, Laxus leaned back stiffly on the counters, both palms planted on the surface of the countertop. His thumb nails scratched at the underside mindlessly.

"Is there anything you want to tell me before I go out there?" She asked.

Laxus' brows lifted. He hadn't expected a question like that.

"What do you mean? He's not gunna hurt ya or anything."

She nodded, but kept her eyes locked on him. She took a shy step forward. She hugged herself with her arms.

"No. I mean..." she tried to search for the words, all the while realizing how weak her body language was. She stiffened her back and pushed her arms down, fighting the unnatural feeling.

She could ask him…or plainly say what she suspected. She didn't feel confident enough in either to put them into action. She looked at her feet and swallowed. She hesitated.

Laxus gritted his teeth together and stood up in a snap.

"Just say it! I'm not that fucking scary alright!? "

His voice hit her hard and her leg jumped back out of instinct to run.

Laxus' hands went tight again, but his shoulders dropped. He sucked air through his nose and let it out slow. He stretched his fingers and rolled them to loosen them.

"Sorry." He shot and his eyes hit the floor. "You just look at me like I'm going to snap your neck. It's irritating." He growled.

She swallowed.

"You look at me like I'm dog shit you stepped in..." Buzzed brain told her being crude would appeal to his own crude sensibilities. It worked.

He scoffed a heartless laugh.

"That's vivid."

"And accurate." She was quick to respond.

She took another step forward.

Laxus nodded. He couldn't dispute that.

"Sorry for that too then...I guess." He paused and rocked his jaw from one side to the other.

She didn't feel like he meant it, but it was still nice to hear.

"So." Lucy wasn't going to give up. "What do I need to know before I go out there and ask him...what's going on?"

Laxus' hands tightened on the counter. He refused to look at her. Something in his slumping posture, and dipped head made him look even heavier than normal. If sober Laxus was a thousand pounds then drunk Laxus was double that.

"Got no idea what you're talking about, Lucy. Honestly." he denied and rocked his head back and forth.

She huffed, patients running out. He was going to make her say it and it was already bringing tears to her eyes. She locked her posture and told her emotions to get a grip.

"How long have you and Freed been dating?" her voice cracked on his name, and her eyes darted to each side. It made her stomach churn and flip. She wondered if Laxus could see it on her face. Her…crush, or love or admiration…whatever it was. She said it though. There was no beating around the bush. Direct. Clear.

Clear enough to catch Laxus off guard. His head snapped up and his mouth opened. His jaw flapped like a hinge had broken. The shock in his eyes came as a deep relief to Lucy. If she had been way off base he would have flared up and probably asked what the hell was wrong with her. The fact that he had nothing to say proved it more than an actual confession would have.

Laxus stood up fully and pointed a finger forward.

"Listen here!" he started but a voice behind Lucy cut in.

"How did you figure it out?"

She turned. Freed was standing in the threshold, cutting through the purple wall. His brows were tight, and frown deep. Worry stained his face more so than the confusion on Laxus'.

Lucy turned to stand sideways between both of them. She was literally caught in the middle now.

"You fuckin' liar! You could hear me the whole time!" Laxus sneered past Lucy, but Freed ignored it as easy as he had on the other side of the wall.

Freed focused on Lucy.

"You let your guard slip." her tone was softer with Freed. Not demanding. No strength. She glanced back at Laxus for a flash. "You both did."

Freed swallowed, and she could see the calculations running through his head. He was recounting the entire night wondering where the slip up was.

"It was the way you two looked at each other..." She paused, her mind clouding with the vision of them.

She could see it easily. How Laxus held Freed tightly, and how Freed looked up at him with intense, but settled admiration.

"The way you danced." She went on, dry, consumed by the vision. "The way you..." she realized there were tears in her eyes and blinked quickly. "you looked like you were..."

She snorted and covered her mouth.

Freed stepped back into the room. Not knowing why this was torturing him. The less rational side of his brain was ready to shake the answers out of her. Lucy calmed down and she saw his face. The seriousness behind it told her to act right.

"You looked like you were... _free_..."

Laxus gagged and crossed his arms. A bittersweet smile came to Freed's mouth. He let out a halfhearted laugh and brought a hand up to lightly rest over his mouth. The other crossed over his chest.

"Sappy." Laxus sneered.

"If I didn't know better I would say you were a writer, with lines like that." Freed teased, but that was all of the joy he had in him.

He soured again and he rested his back against the glass wall behind him. He tightened when Laxus started to stop towards him. His hand went for the opening left in the door but Laxus slapped his palm on the door and threw it closed in one sweep.

"Whatever. She got a good guess in. That doesn't explain you!" He bellowed.

Where Lucy would have been cowering, Freed made a point to stand taller. She was sure he was the only man that could be crammed between a raging bull and a wall that could look just as strong.

"Why have you..." Laxus started. He swallowed hard and his voice dropped. "What's up with you?"

Freed rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked away from Laxus and squeezed his body to avoid any contact with the larger man.

"You had better be careful Laxus. Say anymore and you're only going to prove Lucy right. You wouldn't want this to go public." He hummed sarcastically.

Laxus snarled and pulled his fist back. He wanted to hit something, but if he let his fist fly at the wall he would surely shatter the glass. Instead he shakily set it back down again.

"I don't give a damn about that. I care about you! Stop being a mad idiot okay? It's the first time I've seen you in months! Do you think this is how I want to spend our first night back together?"

Laxus was completely disregarding Lucy. His full attention was on Freed. He moved his hands forward, thumbs snagging in the right and left belt loops of his pants. He pulled his hips forward and held him close.

Lucy had to look away. It pinched at her heart to see them close like that. Even if Freed was so angry he could spit.

"Just talk-" Laxus was ready to beg.

Lucy jumped when she more purple runes start to gather and swarm. She thought it might have been an attack and this loud conversation was going to turn into fast fists quickly. The letters danced around each other just a step behind Laxus and from them Freed materialized. Laxus was left holding nothing.

"I'm the idiot," Freed spat. "But you don't even know what's wrong."

Laxus turned.

"You're right. I don't." he leaned over Freed again. "Explain it to me."

Freed's eyes went cold and his jaw jutted out. He weighed his options. He snapped around to faced Laxus fully.

"It gets so tedious to explain things to you over, and over, and over again! I don't understand how YOU don't understand!" he emphasized, but when he saw no realization hit Laxus he sighed. " 'first night back'." Freed repeated.

He lifted both hands and delivered a powerful push to Laxus' pecks. It shoved him back a few inches but that was it.

"Where the HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!? It's been MONTHS!" He tore away from him again and threw his hands up into his hair. He scratched at his scalp and fluffed it up. "Don't you ever consider how worried I was? Or how embarrassed? When I go back to the guild and everyone's asking where you ARE?" his plea was angry. A part of Freed wanted Laxus to understand. "They ask. And I have NOTHING to tell them?" He waved his hands to the sides. "So I say 'he's out on a mission' but as far as I know you're dead in a ditch somewhere?!"

Laxus closed his eyes. Shame forced him to nod.

"You just left Laxus." Freed's voice wavered into a plea but his stare was constant. "You didn't even say goodbye to me."

Laxus snapped his head up.

"Alright but I've left before without warning! The fact that you're getting mad out of nowh-"

Freed grabbed the nearest thing, an unopened box of toothpicks, and chunked it at his head. Laxus stepped out of the way in time and they smacked against the wall.

"We weren't dating then you meatloaf!" he bent over with the force of his yell. He turned away in a snap and ran his fingers three times quickly through his hair.

Laxus scrunched his face and mouthed 'meatloaf?'

"It's different now! You just left me there! You didn't say anything the night before." He hugged himself tight.

Lucy, who had found a place on a stool out of the way was watching the whole thing. She felt invasive, but somehow necessary. Like if they hadn't had an audience, they wouldn't be open enough with each other to fight.

Freed was calming down, but anger wasn't turning into a collected mind. It was warping into suppressed sadness. He leaned his hip against the counter and let his head hang.

"I waited for you. The night you left. I made dinner. I told myself you were just late. You would be home soon..." He paused. He felt like an idiot, thinking back on it. "I did that for a week. Making you dinner. Waiting up. I made excuses, like you were on a mission, or you crashed at Bickslow's house...anything. It was easier to accept that you were thoughtless, and not just abandoning me!"

That word hit Laxus hard. He let his arms drop and the fight in his system was defeated.

"Freed..."

Freed pulled away when Laxus stepped forward.

"No! no. Because why should I care where you're at?! I'm just being clingy again, hua? It's no big deal." Freed threw back.

It didn't stop Laxus. He moved slowly until he was close enough to wrap his arms around Freed. One pulled him in by his back, the other tucked Freed's head under his own chin. Freed resisted at first but was still too quick to accept the comfort. He sniffed and hid his face in Laxus' chest.

He mumbled something. It took Lucy a second longer than it should have to decipher.

"If you want to break up with me just tell me." he had kept his voice low to try and keep it private.

Laxus let out huff of a laugh.

"Okay." he broke whatever seriousness he had built up. "Now I know you're stupid drunk." He shook his head. "Meatloaf I could tolerate. Breaking up? Go the fuck to sleep." he pulled back and brushed his hand over Freed's face.

Freed looked shocked and hurt, but comically so.

"Hua? I'm being serious! Laxus if you-"

Was all he got out before Laxus clamped both of his hands around Freed's head and pulled him into a kiss. He had to lean down, and Freed had to stretch up. Lucy's heart was shot but she was getting so haggard by their emotions she wouldn't feel hers for the rest of the night.

It wasn't graphic. Just a sweet kiss that eventually broke. Freed looked up through wet eyelashes.

"Did you snag a room for the night?" Laxus asked, brushing messy strands of stray hairs from his face.

Freed shook his head no.

"I made sure Lucy had two beds in her room. I knew if I got angry with you I could make an excuse to sleep there."

Laxus' head rocked back with the impact of that admission.

"You would sleep in the same room as Lucy?" He needed full clarification.

Freed nodded.

"We shared a closet of a room on the train." He defended himself quickly, as if it were some scandalous thing to sleep in the same room as a woman.

Laxus hissed through his teeth and smiled.

"You're a little too pure for me, ya know it?"

Freed snorted.

"Mavis, if that's not the truth." he agreed.

They both smiled, but Freed's was short lived.

"Go get a shower, hua?" Laxus suggested. "No point in us screaming all night?"

Freed didn't like that he was being dismissed but he had a voice in his head telling him he had made a big enough of an emotional fool of himself for one night.

"Fine." he agreed. "Get me something to sleep in please."

He turned for the bathroom but after a step he froze, and looked back.

"You do have something CLEAN in your bag, right?"

Laxus smiled tight, looked up and shook his head.

"Yes, Sassy-ass. Now go clean off that shit attitude."

Freed nodded to himself and continued. The bathroom door closed quietly.

Lucy sat with her hands balled on her lap. She looked up without moving her head. Laxus wasn't staring at her, but close enough for her to know she was in his peripheral vision.

She stood and his head snapped to attention.

"I should get going." She offered with a clunky smile and nervous laugh at the end.

Laxus nodded and grabbed a package off cigars off of the table. He chopped the end and put the other in his mouth before flicking the balcony door open.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." he agreed and got one foot out. "Oh..."

His exclamation stopped her.

"Can you grab my lighter..."

Her face contorted. From where he was it was...almost just a lean away.

"Thanks." he added, a look in his eyes she couldn't understand.

She looked at the lighter, and then to him, his back facing her where he stood. She threw her head to the closed bathroom door.

She picked up the lighter and stepped out into the slightly chilled air of the night. She looked around the space for anything. Only a rain damaged chair, and plastic potted plant that had been watered way too much.

She approached him and set the silver flip lighter on the ledge. He took it without looking at her, lit the end, and it flared up with red and orange as he sucked in smoke.

She waited there in silence, wondering why she was out here.

"Umm...alright then. Guess I'll be...going?"

She watched him and slowly turned. She was about to shrug him off when-

"You still haven't said what you wanted to say to me. Nows a good time as any..."

She stayed still.

Silence.

Laxus heard the door slide closed. Did she leave?

"I don't think tonight is a good night to bring it up..."

When he looked over she was beside him, but she still refused to look up at him.

"Might as well. That whole fit got me pretty sober. What's been buggin' ya?"

Lucy hoped he wouldn't ask that. She grabbed the end of her tee shirt with both hands and wrung it nervously.

"I...don't have anything to say...really..."

She heard him move, and felt his eyes on her.

"You came all this way, and did all this shit and you don't have anything to say?" He didn't believe her. That was obvious.

She shrugged. "Nothing you don't already know. I think you're shitty, and mean, but I know you're just pushing me away."

An hour ago she would probably consider jumping over the railing rather than talk to Laxus like this.

"I'm tired of how you have been treating me, but I know you're just upset. I don't forgive you. But..."

She nodded to herself and their eyes met. Blue met brown. His brows were pushed down, his mouth was flat. His expression was the same as always, but nothing about it was cold. Nothing was very warm either. Just neutral. Laxus' natural.

"I could. In time. If you would meet me half way. It's possible. I mean I could have come all this way to scream at you. For a while I wanted to..." she faced forward.

It was the first time she noticed the view. They were only on the third floor, but their hotel was positioned on a hill which gave them a lot more to look at. Below them was a vast blackness with the twinkling of town lights. They could hear sounds from the people down below. Watch them if they came close enough. Maybe even speak to them. One streetlight on the kept flickering. The blew enough to keep the bugs away.

"We could yell at each other. But that's not what I want." She was saying it for the first time to herself. Accepting it for the truth. "I want us to be family Laxus. I don't know what that means for us. If you'll be my 'brother' or if you'll be Laxus Dreyar, a mage at Fairy Tail," She laid her arms on the ledge and picked herself to see over the high drop. "either way, we are family. I don't want us to avoid each other or hate each other."

Laxus was listening. If Lucy hadn't been explicitly 'invited' out here to speak with him she would have believed he had shut his ears off. He let out a puff of smoke and nodded.

"You're right. And I want that too…or Freed does. At the very least."

The next gust of wind blew life back into her. She felt reborn from his words. She stretched her toes and wiggled her fingers.

"Fairy Tail is my home. I've done a really good job of fucking things up with it too. I don't want to make the same mistakes again."

They looked at each other, and Laxus took another drag.

She smiled.

"Is this the part where you say 'go on Lucy, take a puff, just one puff!'." She lowered her voice as deep as it would go to imitate him. It sounded more like a pirate than Laxus.

It worked though. She got a pity laugh out of him.

"Hell no. If I ever catch you smoking I'll take your tongue to a cheese grater. I only do it because my lungs are super human."

Lucy lifted a brow at him.

He smirked.

"They are. And it makes me look real dragon-ey." he demonstrated by closing his mouth and directing a stream of smoke to flow from each corner.

Lucy broke out in giggles.

"That's so dumb. Dragon-ey is not a word!"

"Shows what you know about dragons." Laxus mumbled, clearly joking.

She scrunched her lips up at him, and rocked her hips to the side to bump his.

He glanced at her hips, then her face with an 'are you fucking kidding me look'. A pause, and he rocked back and bumped her back.

"You brat." He sighed.

"Jerk."

For a moment, they were quiet. Lucy admired the view, watching lights in the city below flick on and off. The wind blew softly, just enough for her to get a hint of his cigar on the wind. Thick, with a sweet ring to it. She frowned and looked over at him. He leaned one arm on the rail, and held the cigar with the other. He looked off into the distance but his eyes were unfocused. Drifting to one patch of color to the other without realizing what he was seeing.

"I do have one thing to ask…" She spoke

He rolled his head to look at her.

"Yeah?"

She stared forward, his blue eyes dull in the low light.

"Why aren't you taking Freed seriously right now? You…kinda just threw it off like it didn't matter…" she shrugged. "I mean…did it matter? I know he's drunk, but don't you think there's any truth behind what he's saying? He's…. obviously hurt."

Laxus nodded, looking forward again.

"You're right…I guess I do look like an ass…. but trust me, it's better to talk about it in the morning. We can sit down, he can explain everything he's been wanting to say, and I can try to…be better…I guess." He sighed and his eyes cast down to the street below. "It's hard with him. He's got this bad habit of holding back what he wants to say. It's really annoying." He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. "Because I'm too damn stupid to realize anything's wrong until he's sucked down half a bottle of vodka." He hummed.

Lucy nodded, happy to know Laxus wasn't being as flippant as he was acting. As much as it stung to think Freed was in love with someone else, it softened the blow to know that he was also loved in return.

"Well…I wish I could give you some advice. But I don't know the first thing about relationships. I guess you'll just have to figure it out on your own." She shrugged, not wanting to leave him in that heavy state.

He smirked.

"Eh. Not alone. Freed might get upset…but he's stuck with me. We will figure it out." The end of his cigar flared up as he sucked in the smoke.

She stayed out there with him to finish his cigar. They didn't speak. She admired the view and didn't let the thought of Freed come back into her mind.

Laxus followed Lucy back inside. She leaned against the open door and watched him flop back onto the mattress. Freed was in the bathroom. The door hung open and light burst out in a crisp narrowing rectangle. She could hear the sink running.

Laxus sat heavy on the bed and stretched his arms, grumbling to himself about how good it would be to sleep. He looked as tired and emotionally drained as Lucy. She remembered their afternoon. Finding him the grave… Lucy sat on the arm of the chair and wondered how he was keeping all of his emotions in check. She knew he was a guy…but how was he not ready to break down? She wished she had that kind of magic in her.

"Laxus." Freed mumbled from in the bathroom before stepping out in overly large and long pajama pants and an equally large white V-neck tee shirt.

Laxus turned his head.

"Yeah?"

Freed crossed the room, swaying with every step.

"I want to go to sleep." He sounded dreamy already, unfocused and slow.

"You do?" he asked.

Freed crawled onto the bed and tucked into his side. He nodded.

"Yeah…I'm still mad at you…." He reminded him.

Laxus scoffed.

"I know baby."

He sat up, and pushed himself off the bed. Freed whined but didn't make an attempt to move.

"I know, bare with me." Laxus laughed, always loving it when Freed got like this. Whiney and needy.

He threw the top of the covers back, then grabbed Freed up by picking him up by his upper back and under his knees. He scooped him up and laid him properly in the bed. He tossed the covers back over him.

"Stay here." He ordered, placing one kiss on his forehead.

Freed shifted in his place.

"Where are you going?" He sounded half asleep as it was.

"I'm going to take Lucy back to her room. I'll be right back."

Lucy sat up straight at the mention of her name.

He moved away from the bed and stood waiting for her. She jumped up and followed him out of the room. The hallway was well lit compared to the room.

"Why?" She asked.

He lifted a brow.

"Why what? Why am I walking you back?" he clarified.

She nodded at him.

He took in a breath and shrugged.

"It's what Freed would have done if he weren't messed up. Just seems right. I can go back if you want." He wasn't offended.

He hadn't bothered to ask himself why he was taking her. He realized it was weird and he was most likely making her uncomfortable.

"No, its fine." She shook her head. "I was just curious."

For once Lucy felt like the storm had died down. Laxus wasn't going to erupt and bark. He wasn't going to yell. He wouldn't even speak if she told him not to. He was trying to be civil. She stopped in front of the door and grabbed out her key.

"This is me. Thanks for taking Freed's place tonight." She dared to joke.

She didn't hear a chuckle or snort. Nothing. She shrugged it off and pushed the door open.

"Lucy."

She stopped, and waited for it. Was this the moment to break the niceness?

"I can't imagine anyone setting up a monument like that for a bad person…I didn't know her. I'm..sorry I said everything I said about her."

She felt her breath knock out of her chest and she could hardly breathe it back. She held her lips together and put her hands on the door to steady herself. She blinked away tears, sucking her lips tight.

She gathered her emotions before turning around to face him.

His brows were hard and he looked nervous. He flicked his eyes away and stood stiff in his place. He hadn't expected her to do more than nod and close the door. He had expected it to go by without her acknowledging him at all, but now he had to face her big wet eyes. She sniffed once and opened her mouth to speak. Her voice cracked and instead of talking she sprang forward. Laxus flinched and caught a snap reaction to guard himself. Her arms wrapped around him, her face slammed into his chest. She squeezed him tight while he kept his arms up and off her.

"Thank you Laxus." Her voice was small, and weak.

Laxus tried to twist to get out of her grip.

"Hey! Knock it off! Don't be so emotional! Geeze if I knew you were gunna cry I wouldn't have said anything!"

The snaps in his voice made her flinch but she didn't move. She hugged him tight and closed her eyes.

"I'm not crying you big idiot!" She yelled back and sniffed again.

She pulled back and the tears in her eyes had subsided. She wasn't going to sob on him and tell him everything was okay. They both knew there was a lot of things to make up for. A lot of things they still had to face. But he was willing to at least try. That was more than enough for Lucy.

She pulled back and smiled up at him. He kept his usual frown and narrowed brows, but she was learning how to see past the hardness of his expressions.

"I guess I'll see ya in the morning?" she took a step back for the door.

He nodded shortly, and it seemed like he would go.

"Ah…one more thing…" He scratched the back of his neck and hesitated, contemplating if he should even bother. "Are you gunna tell them? About me and Freed?"

She blinked a few times, trying to understand. She knew the guild didn't know…

"Do you mean Evergreen and Bickslow?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

He nodded, and it was clear he was not proud.

She shook her head no but still had the thought in the back of her head. Should she? Morally should they have some right to know?

"I won't tell anyone…but if you want my advice, I think you should." She decided to be bold.

He gave a nod, but didn't like hearing that. He was annoyed but restraining it well.

"Goodnight Lucy."

He turned to go, and she let him.

Freed felt pressure on the bed and the mattress start to shift. It lifted him out of his nearly sleeping state and he stretched his arms.

"Where were you?" He mumbled through a yawn.

"I already told you." Laxus reminded and pulled the covers up.

He grabbed the smaller man from behind and pulled him close before tugging the covers tight. He slipped his leg between Freed's and wrapped his arms snuggly around his chest. He pressed his lips to the back of his shoulder and took in his smell. That's what he missed the most when he was away from Freed. The indescribable faint musk that only Freed could create, as well as the breezy shampoo he had switched to in Laxus' absents. Laxus often wondered if the other dragon slayers ever minded having such keen noses. He had never been bothered by it, even when smells were 'unsavory'. It never got to him.

He kissed the same spot, moving his lips gently up his neck, hands stroking his stomach and sides. He closed his eyes and indulged in Freed.

"We aren't having sex." Freed wiggled in his arms, enjoying the warm, soft pecks far too much.

He had been missing Laxus' touch since he left, but he had principals. Morals! If Laxus tried hard enough he would forget those morals.

Laxus chuckled and pulled Freed further back.

"That's fine baby. I just missed you. I'll play nice."

He knew Freed's neck was sensitive and a few kisses would make his determination waver. The alcohol in his system would only speed the process along. He may have tried something if he knew his green haired mage was just playing hard to get. Freed was upset enough not to watch himself and how much he drank. He nuzzled his neck and gave him a squeeze.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked, thinking maybe he shouldn't leave the decision up to the drunkard.

"You had more than me. You should be more drunk than me." Freed slurred, making Laxus wonder if he had heard him at all.

"Babe?" he sat up.

The weight balance shifted as Laxus leaned over him. He brushed Freed's bangs out of his face

Freed looked off into the distance blankly.

"Baby?" Laxus tried again and pulled his head up.

Freed's eyes fixed forward.

"No. You don't have to stop." He told him softly.

Laxus moved his arms to rest on either side of Freed's head. He kept himself propped up with his elbows, but lowered his chest to lay on top of Freed's. He leaned down and their lips met. Laxus felt a refreshing wave wash over him that sparked a moan. He felt Freed's lips move against his own. A rush of urges sprang forward from his sweet lips, but he ignored them. He pulled his lips away. His hands ran over the veil of long green hair draped over Freed's pillow.

"I missed you so much." He didn't have to speak loudly to be heard.

Freed wiggled under him.

"I didn't like finding you there." Freed felt his heart cracking to a dangerous degree. He shifted his hands up to cup Laxus' face. "You can tell me. You could tell me anything Laxus. I'm worried about you."

Laxus took a breath in, knowing there would be no rush to answer. Freed never demanded him to answer without thinking, and deeply considering his answer first. He was the king of throwing his foot in his mouth.

Freed could hear the beeping of his heart in Laxus' chest. He took note of his heart rate, just slightly faster than normal because of the booze running through his system.

"You're worried about nothing Freed." Laxus promised him, but the look on the smaller man's face told him that wasn't what he had wanted to hear.

Freed took a slow breath and let his head fall to the side.

"Then let's sleep." He threw the words carelessly, and the frown on his face was deep.

Laxus smiled and scooped his hair up, twisting it together so it would lay without bothering Freed. He leaned down, hot breath in Freed's ear made him shiver.

"I love you." Laxus purred, knowing three words couldn't fix everything. He kissed his ear and Freed hummed.

He closed his eyes and felt Laxus lay behind him. Strong arms pulled him back into a warm chest. He could hear his dragons heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. The rhythem lulled him. In moments he was in a deepr, stronger sleep than he had known since Laxus left.


	10. Three's a crowd

"OUCH! Damn it!" Laxus jolted as his finger got caught in the snap lock of his bulky black leather suitcase.

He ripped his hand away and immediately stuck his pulsing finger in his mouth, sucking the sting away. Freed glanced over his shoulder long enough to assess there was no blood or broken bones.

"You should be more careful. Is it secure now?" He asked over his shoulder, giving his own luggage a quick inspection.

"Yeah, it's fine," Laxus muttered back and shoved forward.

"That bag has fallen open quite a few times today. Are you sure it's not broken?" Freed pressed, and Laxus sighed heavily.

"It's fine. Good as ever." He was insistent but only got a long stare from the shorter man.

He tried to ignore it, but he could feel the stair laying on his skin like a bug crawling over his arm.

"So it flops open every now and again? It's still sturdy." He gave the bag a jiggle to demonstrate its integrity.

Freed's lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't look away.

"You should replace it. Why hang onto faulty equipment?"

Laxus went smug and puffed his chest out.

"Same reason you hang onto me." He boasted. He flipped around to walk backward as they approached two double doors. "Ya like the way it looks, and how much it can pack."

It was the look on Laxus face that told Freed the statement was meant as an innuendo, though he didn't know how much sense it made. He rolled his eyes and smiled anyway.

"Maybe I should replace you too. I'll have an easier time when I have a reliable bag to lug around."

Laxus stopped and rested his weight on one foot.

"Still mad?" He lifted a brow. It was playful, but Laxus still wanted an answer.

Freed considered it, then nodded.

"A little." He answered. "But, like your bag, it can't last forever."

Freed realized he had been holding back a lot. His drunken meltdown had proven that. Getting to that point was not healthy, but it was also not Laxus' fault.

"Hmm." Laxus doubted, and took one more step back, and used his shoulders to shove the doors open.

At least for the moment, their relationship was not in peril. No need to bring it up now.

The guild was quiet compared to its usual state. Laxus dropped his bag by the doorway but Freed held onto his.

"So, grab dinner and head home?" Laxus asked, stretching his arms out, cracking his knuckles at the same time.

Freed nodded.

"Should I return to my apartment tonight?" he asked.

Laxus rubbed his chin, then shook his head no.

"Nah, you're making breakfast tomorrow. Wouldn't want you to have to make a trip." he teased and gave him a slap on the shoulder.

It made Freed smile and Laxus left him there. He enjoyed the nights he was permitted to stay at Laxus' house. It reminded him that the days of him not being allowed over were growing less and less, and would soon be gone entirely.

Laxus would be filling in the rest of their team, who had no doubt been worried that they had taken so long to return home. Maybe it seemed like the more entertaining job, find and inform their team versus food pickup, but Freed felt emotionally empty. He didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. He knew it had largely to do with allowing alcohol to sort his emotions for him. He clenched his eyes on his next blink at the thought of it. He would be living that moment down for a while.

"Freed!" Mira's happy voice grabbed him, and he turned around to see her dancing towards him.

He straightened his shoulders and prepared a welcoming face.

"I was a little worried when the others returned home without you. You two were gone for quite a while, did something go wrong?"

He shook his head, almost before she had the question out.

"No, nothing like that." He started to walk to the bar, knowing she would have some duty to return to. He did not want to impede her.

He placed his bags close to the base of the bar and nudged it forward with his foot so it was flush against the panels. Her heels clicked behind the counter and indeed she started to set pitchers up to be filled.

"We took our time returning. We had trouble at the start of the mission. So much so that we believed we deserved a few slow days."

She nodded as she worked.

"Evergreen and Bickslow were home so quickly though..." She questioned further, and Freed knew it wasn't out of suspicion.

"Laxus and his condition prevented us from returning on the train." Freed reminded with ease.

"Oh, of course. You know, I often forget he even has a problem with travel. He's always so quiet about it."

Freed smiled gently.

"Yes. I suppose there is some truth it. Music can indeed sooth the beast. He usually puts on his headphones and ignores us until the train stops. He's not a very entertaining travel companion in that regard."

"Is that so?" Mira smiled, a laugh in her voice. "Well, let me make this round, and I will put your order in when I come back."

Mira knew them well. Freed and Laxus never stayed around long after a weighty mission. They would say hello, grab their reward, order food, and go home for a long, well-earned rest. Freed didn't feel the same fatigue as he would after challenging work, but he wouldn't object to locking himself in his room for a few days.

She swayed off, cups stacked and filled, and orders ready to be taken. Freed moved for a seat, and should have had a moment to himself, but he caught blond hair at the end of the bar. Lucy had her arms folded over one another, her eyes hanging so heavily he was sure she was almost asleep where she folded.

He assessed the situation around her. No one seemed to be accompanying wrestled with himself mentally for a few moments. She wasn't in any danger unless one counted a stiff back as 'danger, but at the same time it felt so incredibly rude to let her pass out where she was. He pushed himself to his feet. In the span of a few steps he must have come up with a thousand different ways to start a conversation, but nothing felt natural or...even comfortable. He straightened his coat and cleared his throat.

That wasn't enough to catch her spotty attention. He wished it had been.

"Lucy." He addressed her, and watched her eyes flicker to life as she tried to wake herself up.  
"Freed? Oh, you're back. That's great. Where were you guys?" She pushed herself up with her palms and rubbed one of her eyes with a hand.

"I'll explain in a moment. What are you doing sleeping in the guild hall," He paused, realizing the time. "in the middle of the day?"

She blinked a few times and held herself up with one arm.

"I haven't been sleeping great the last few days." He could hear her suppressing a yawn as she spoke. "When I got home from my mission my apartment had been evacuated. Some kind of parasite has been living in the walls, and apparently, it's really dangerous." She shrugged. "I was given a bag of my clothes that my snoopy landlady had packed for me, but that's it." She shrugged weakly.

Freed nodded and took the seat next to her.

"That doesn't explain the fatigue." He pressed.

She let her head roll to the side, shoulders slumping. She was putting more and more weight on the arm propped on the counter.

"Well...I didn't wanna do it, but I didn't have any choice. I asked around, to find anyone who would take me in for a while. I've been staying with Erza for the past few days, and she's very..." Lucy grimised. "excited."

Freed nodded, understanding her position.

Lucy let her head hang.

"I haven't been getting any sleep at all. I thought it would be a little uncomfortable at first but...she has something new to do every night. Some sleep-over game or project. It was fun at first!"

"I imagine balancing long nights with your work explains your exhaustion." Freed was already thinking of possible solutions to her problem. "And you have no other option?"

Lucy whined to herself, and her head dropped. Both elbows dug into the table. She folded her hands in front of herself.

"I don't think so. Being around Erza was fun, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. After a long day, I just want to lay down somewhere quiet. Maybe soak in the bath for a while and be by myself." She closed her eyes at the thought. "I guess it's rude to ask anyone to give you that much privacy after asking to stay with them. I'm grateful to Erza but..." She paused and closed her eyes, letting her head fall. "I need to find somewhere else...I guess I could live at a hotel for a while, but that would eat into my savings fast..." Her attention drifted down to the table.

Lucy looked like she was being pulled down towards the bar. She could hold her head up, but it wasn't without conscious effort.

Freed felt something pull in his stomach. He had put himself in a tough situation. He couldn't abandon a fellow guildmate without giving his best effort to aid them.

"Levy would surely make room for you. She tells me you two are close. Couldn't you stay there for a while?"

Levy found a second wave of strength and shoved herself up again, this time putting her hands in her lap. She shook her head just enough for her hair to wave with it.

"Her apartment is so packed as is. All of those books take up a lot of space. She hardly has enough room for herself, I'd be walking all over her. If it was for a few days sure."

"How long do you believe it will last?"

Lucy shrugged. "They told me it could be a month. At least two weeks."

Freed could see the pain of diminished hope being flared up again by his questions. He swallowed hard and made himself sit taller.

"Why not Natsu or Gray? Maybe a bit...inappropriate." He mumbled the last bit. "but you've gone on missions with them before, some spanning long lengths of time. That should suffice in this dire situation."

Her eyes were dropping again.

"Natsu would run me down just as much as Erza has, and Gray..." She tensed up and her brows narrowed. "Juvia would skin me alive if she found out we were living together."

Freed nodded, and he huffed quietly.

"Quite the position..." He murmured.

She gave a lazy nod.

"Erza is happy to have me. I'll find something that works. It will be okay, really. Don't worry about me." She offered him a tired smile.

Freed took a slow breath in, then crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, but that's simply not an option." He refused.

Lucy frowned, not understanding him.

"You've assisted the Thunder Legion, which I would say entitles you to at least the bare minimum of our help. Evergreen's apartment is too small, and I can tell you from experience she is a bit of a neat freak. It makes her difficult to live with. I won't permit you to live with Bickslow, so that leaves me." He spoke quickly, having already made up his mind.

Her eyes went wide and suddenly she didn't feel the ache, and slowness of her sleep deprivation. Her heart was pounding and had leaping into her throat. She sat up straight, hands clenched in her lap. She had visions of a beautiful future with green haired children and a picket fence in the noblest of houses she could imagine! She knew these were delusions, but it didn't stop her mind from running away from her. She opened her mouth to speak, but he was already going again.

"Of course, I'm usually spending my days at Laxus' house. So naturally, you'll just have to stay there."

That put the brakes on her magic-mobile. She felt her heart halt, and now she was stiff as glass in her seat. Her lips squished into a tight line, that formed the faintest false smile.

"Ah~h...I...don't know about that." She couldn't hide her discomfort with the idea, but her daydreams were coming back down.

Freed was with Laxus. He hadn't meant to suggest anything other than a friendly helping hand. She had to be okay with that. She wanted to be okay with that.

"I know it won't be...ideal." Freed noticed her discomfort. "but Laxus has a spare bedroom he never uses, it's on the other end of the house, and for the most part, we both keep to ourselves. No one will be poking in on you or bothering you at all. Trust me." he paused and closed his eyes, his arms went tighter. "I don't like inviting strangers into my home, and I don't know you well at all. But this is a matter of your health, and well-being. You'll make yourself sick if you don't sleep, if you keep working on top of that, and you won't be able to provide quality service to your clients. I wouldn't be offering if I didn't think it was necessary... trust me."

She was quiet for a moment and stared back at him. She didn't feel uncomfortable under his eyes. Intimidated maybe, but she was getting used to the intense stillness, and seriousness she now associated with blue-green.

"Laxus won't agree to it." Lucy reminded him.

He nodded "He will. We just have to ask nicely."

She snorted, and had to cover her mouth to keep the laughter in.

"Is that a joke?" She asked through her fingers. "You have to be kidding?"  
Freed raised his brows, then smirked.

"Clearly you have never tried," Freed stated.

"Hell no." The rejection rang out like a shot from a gun. Laxus didn't even give time to consider it. He didn't even look up from his plate.

Lucy felt her heart quiver, but Freed was unaffected.

"Laxus-" He started

"Freed." Laxus cut off in a tone mocking Freed's.

Freed gave him a flat look, and Laxus returned a glare, ripping a chunk of chicken off the bone with his teeth.

"She has nowhere else to go." Freed was firm.

"Put her up in your apartment, you aren't even using it." Laxus waved the drumstick at Freed. "Why don't you put yourself out instead of me?"

"I haven't had electricity or running water in months. You helped me deconstruct my bed, and everything is in boxes. Mainly because you don't like to make your own breakfast."

Laxus growled and sat back. He wasn't anywhere near angry but ticked described him pretty well.

"She just needs a **room** right? That's what you do when times are tough. Whatever you have to. Give her your place."

Freed narrowed his eyes at Laxus, and Laxus looked away. He threw his elbow on the table and leaned forward, dropping his food on his plate.

"I'm trying to be nice okay? I'm trying to be 'big brother Laxus' over here like you want, but you're pushing things on me to fast! Living with her is gonna be...weird!"

"You're right. You're right Laxus." Freed conceited, and Lucy took a breath in. It seemed like this avenue had failed as well, but she had a feeling Freed wasn't finished. "But I think you would admit that keeping your boyfriend a secret for over a year is also very strange."

Laxus swallowed hard, his face tense.

"Don't try and throw that back at me. That's not fair at all Freed. You know why-"

Freed raised his hand gently, and Laxus stopped, hesitated, and then relaxed, to let him speak.

"I'm not trying to shame you, or hold anything over you. But I am saying I know when to push a subject. I know when it matters, and in what way. I don't like being a secret, but I understand why its necessary. I know why you're rejecting Lucy now, and it's not necessary. Yes, it will not be ideal, but we are the best suit for her. We are mostly quiet, level headed, people, who wouldn't bother or be bothered. If you say no, I will respect that. But saying no without real consideration will not be accepted."

Laxus sighed, long and hard, and rolled his head to the side. They went quiet enough to hear Laxus was growling faintly. His head snapped back, and he looked at Lucy long and hard.

"No house guests." He told her.

Her brows lifted and after the shock, she nodded.

"No loud, shitty music."

She nodded again, adding a 'yes sir'.

Laxus eyes went sharp as he tried to think of anything else he wanted to establish.

"Fine. Last rules. Freed makes dinner every night, but we fend for ourselves for breakfast and lunch-"

Freed cut in.

"Unless you make special requests."

Laxus nodded. "Sometimes he feels nice." He shrugged, then moved on. "If, for whatever reason you aren't coming to dinner that night, let him know so he doesn't make you food and waste something. I'm not a fan of too many left overs in my fridge." He stood up and grabbed his plate, and his coat, throwing it over his shoulder. "No messes, don't go in my room, ever, even if you think I'm dead in there. Don't do it." he took a step to go, but paused, and turned. "Oh, and last one. If you have a fuckin' problem with someone, say it. Don't be shy. Even if you have to get Freed to hold your fuckin' hand, say it."

He moved away from them and Lucy let out a hard breath. She wanted a warm bed, and a dark room. She turned to Freed who had a pleased smile on his face.

He was glowing with his victory, and after a long moment of basking in his success he looked down at Lucy.

"Don't worry, he makes it sound militant, but I think he's just sour. We are both very particular about how we live. Every rule he's given you is something we follow for ourselves. Well…except the music. Laxus is lenient on himself when it comes to music."

His assurance helped her relax. She could easily see Freed running a structured, sometimes strict ship.

"So…just 'house rules?" She threw out the words to keep the conversation going. Talking about anything was better than nodding and sinking into silence.

"Yes." Freed answered and rose from his seat. "I am going to talk to Erza and get your things in order to be moved over. You should go to the house and get some rest."

She nodded and stood.

"Wait, ah." Lucy started. Freed looked at her to continue. "Why are all of your things in boxes? at your apartment?"

He smiled and let out one short laugh.

"Well that should be rather obvious I believe." He tilted his head at her. "I'm hardly ever at my own place anymore. No need to keep it if I wont be living there any longer."


End file.
